Thunderstruck
by Hiiraeth
Summary: Hunger Games AU. There's nothing Kakashi can do to fix all the world's wrongs. His mom died a Tribute and his dad's a shell no one knows what to do with. Tomorrow is Reaping Day, and he has a bad feeling it's going to be him this year. ON HOLD
1. Chapter 1

**Thunderstruck**

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 **You don't have to be very familiar with the Hunger Games to understand and enjoy the story. No Hunger Games characters will appear in the story. It's a fusion AU, not a crossover.**

 **All you do need to know is as follows: the world is divided into poor districts and the rich capitol that rules the district. The capitol controls the districts by throwing their kids into murder tournaments every year. Fun times.**

 **That said, this story is an experiment. Hell, even the title is still subject to change. If people like it, I'll post more! If there's not much of a response, I probably won't continue. So, this is me, trying it out.**

 **I hope you enjoy it!**

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 **Chapter 1. Reaping Day**

The last of the bark strips off the branch easily, and Kakashi smiles. The rims of his nails are nearly black with dirt, but he decides it's worth it when he looks at the result. A long, sturdy branch that will serve very nicely as a walking stick. He'll still need to sneak out his father's knife to carve some decorations into the wood, but all in all the birthday present is coming along nicely.

Kakashi smiles to himself and leans back against the tree. It's quiet in this part of the district. Usually, it's buzzing with people off to chop wood or tend to the saplings. It's nearly evening, however, and the lumberjacks have gone home. Kakashi isn't really supposed to be here either; not only is he too young to be a lumberjack, the peacekeepers don't like it when people linger after working hours.

Ah, well. Making a birthday present for his dad takes commitment.

Not that the present is original, really. Leaf district isn't exactly rich, so pretty much everyone sticks to homemade wood carvings for special occasions. Sometimes, people trade with the peacekeepers for something a bit more special, but Kakashi knows better than to go near a peacekeeper so close to the Reaping. They'd probably take his wanting to trade as attempts at bribery, and only add his name to the Reaping _again_.

No way he is going to let that happen.

He stands up slowly, eyes squinting against the sharp evening sun. It hangs low in the sky, filtering through branches and casting deep shadows between the trees. Dark clouds have appeared at the horizon. The air is warm- there'll be a thunderstorm tonight.

It's time to go home. His father is enough of a worrywart as it is. It takes a minute to place the stick back into its hiding place, and then he's off.

Kakashi runs through the forest until he reaches the start of the clearing. The houses are made of wood, too. No one can afford stone and everyone knows how to work wood, so it's more practical that way. Fire regulations have to be strict, but at least no one goes cold in winter anymore.

Kakashi and his dad live near the edge of town. They can see Victor Village from their house. They don't see much of their neighbors, who prefer to avoid Kakashi's dad when they can. Kakashi brushes dirty knuckles over the door before pushing it open.

"I'm home," He says, more out of habit than anything. The air smells stale inside, and Kakashi knows his father hasn't had a good day. On good days, Sakumo opens the windows and takes a bath. Sometimes, very rarely, he even goes to the market to pick up dried meat or potatoes. On bad days, like today, he stays indoors and refuses to see anyone other than Kakashi.

Kakashi sighs and pushes away that familiar feeling of dread. His father is on one of the cots, facing away from him. His hair seems greasy.

"C'mon," Kakashi walks over and pulls at his father's shoulder. Sakumo rolls over slowly and manages a weak smile. It doesn't reach his eyes, but he makes an effort to sit up.

"Kakashi. How was your day?" He asks, his deep voice slow and sleepy.

On really bad days, Hatake Sakumo doesn't get up at all.

Kakashi shrugs, "No different from usual," and goes towards the pantry. Well, they _call_ it a pantry. It doesn't really deserve the name- it's too small to be able to hold a lot of food, and it's falling apart anyway. But it's better than nothing. Kakashi rummages through it and manages to procure yesterday's turnips and potatoes. Enough for the evening, at least.

"It's... It's the Reaping, tomorrow. Isn't it?" Sakumo asks. He's not looking at Kakashi.

Kakashi manages a nod. He knows this is why his father is doing so badly. Sakumo _always_ gets worse this time of the year. "Yeah."

"Your mom's anniversary is coming up."

"Yeah." Kakashi turns away and lights the fire. They have a small stove, which is a real luxury out here, and he places a few pans on the fire. He hauls the bucket of water he got that morning up and pours some of its contents into the pans.

"You forgot to skin the potatoes," His father says. He sounds tired, but amused. Kakashi can hear him move around and then his father takes the potatoes and a knife. Hmm. That's a good sign.

Sakumo sits down at the small table and skins the potatoes. Kakashi takes the turnip and follows his example.

"She was only eighteen, you know," Sakumo says. His eyes are clouded over. "You were not yet a year old, but they didn't care about that."

Kakashi wishes his father would stop talking already. "Maybe you shouldn't have gone around having kids before you were eighteen, then," He mutters, hoping Sakumo can hear his irritation.

Sakumo pauses, puts his potato down and walks back to the couch. Kakashi feels instant regret.

"Dad, I'm-"

"The Reaping is tomorrow. It's alright. We're both a little bit out of it," Sakumo says absently.

Kakashi frowns and turns back to his potatoes. It's not alright, but there's nothing he can do to fix all the world's wrongs. His mom died a Tribute and his dad is a shell no one knows what to do with. Nothing's right about that.

The knife slips and he cuts his thumb. He frowns at the ruby red welling up from his finger before cleaning it with his mouth. He wipes the rest off on his rough spun pants and tosses the cut up vegetables into the pan on the fire.

They don't speak much during dinner. Kakashi wants to go back out and finish the walking stick. He also wants to shake his father by the shoulders and make him say _something, anything_ , damn it. But he doesn't. He loves his father, and he knows it's not his fault. Not really. He wasn't always like this, anyway.

Kakashi clears the wooden plates off the table and goes to wash them. He thinks of how it used to be, before the accident. Dad used to be bright and cheerful, steady and warm. Then he chopped the wrong tree and three men died. The Peacemakers had him flogged in the main square, but it was the angry stares of men and women who had once been his friends that had done Sakumo in.

He thinks briefly of tomorrow, the Reaping Day. It's all everyone has been talking about for the past few weeks. Kakashi's in there seven times, a few for his age and a few for the tesserae he took last year, when the winter was too long and too cold. Tesserae are like lottery tickets, except they bring bad luck. Ask for a tesserae, and you get food. You also get a bigger chance of being reaped. They don't give a lot of food but it beats starving. Someone like Asuma is only in it four times. Being a victor's kid has its advantages.

He wants to go to bed early that night, but his father grabs his arm and pulls him onto the couch. "Kakashi.. I don't want you taking tesserae again, okay?" His father drapes a heavy arm over Kakashi's shoulders. "Just don't, okay? Don't risk it."

"We gotta eat."

"Not at that cost. Never at that cost"

"Where's this coming from?"

"You know where. Promise me you won't." Sakumo's dark eyes, so similar to his own, burn with intent. "Promise me."

Kakashi nods slowly. "Okay. I won't. If you start working again." It's not really fair, but he has to _try_.

Sakumo blinks rapidly, almost nervously. "I-I can't."

"It's been so long, dad."

"I can't." Sakumo releases him and moves to his cot. "Go to sleep, Kakashi."

Kakashi wants to hate him for it, but tomorrow is Reaping Day. Two weeks after that is mom's death date. Kakashi is tired.

He goes to bed and dreams of his mother winning her Games.

* * *

They both sleep restlessly that night. Sakumo has bags underneath his eyes but he manages to get out of bed and prepare a simple breakfast for them both. Kakashi puts on his best clothes, a pair of soft grey slacks and a blue shirt that his father had once owned. His hair is hopeless as always, sticking in every other direction and so striking in colour that it'll attract attention wherever he goes. His dad's hair is the same, so at least they suffer in company.

Sakumo is always a bit more tactile on Reaping Day. Surprise hugs, running his hand through Kakashi's hair, squeezing his shoulder. Kakashi likes it despite himself. His dad rarely leaves the house and isn't as big and strong as the other men his age, not anymore, but Kakashi never feels as safe as when he's with his dad.

"Almost three thousand children in the district, Kakashi." Sakumo says, trying to sound a bit more upbeat than he usually does. "Three thousand children, most of them with their name in the lottery a couple of times. You won't get picked this year, either. The chances are too small."

Kakashi's father is a clever man, good with numbers and calculations. The first year Kakashi's name had been in the lottery he'd been so frightened that his father had sat him down and showed him the numbers. It had helped then, and it still helps now.

They leave the house when the alarm rings through the district. They nod at neighbors as they trudge off to the main square as well, sullen children in tow. The air is taut with tension, as though a thunder cloud hangs above the village waiting to break loose. No one speaks aside from the littlest children, who don't understand why their older siblings look so scared.

Kakashi doesn't hold his father's hand. He's almost sixteen, and too old for such things. He doesn't mind when his father's shoulder brushes his own, though.

He catches sight of a few other kids his age. Yuuhi Kurenai, with her remarkable red eyes, sends him a weak smile. She's Asuma's girl and they probably want to be together, but Asuma lives in Victor's village with his dad and will take another route to the town center. It seems unfair that Victor's kids can be reaped as well, but then the Games aren't exactly about playing fair in the first place.

Another kid sidles up to Kakashi. It's Gai, who lives nearby. He's one of Kakashi's only friends, even though he's really weird. Gai is energetic and loud and most people prefer to avoid him because he's not exactly cool. But Kakashi likes him, because Gai's dad is also an outcast and Gai doesn't have a mom either. They understand each other. Besides, Gai's not half as dumb as other people seem to think he is.

Kakashi spots Genma too, a boy who is a few years older than him. This is his last year in the Reaping. If his name isn't picked, he's safe. At his side is little Anko from the foster home, who's a little bit unhinged. Kakashi wonders idly what would happen if they pick her, because he feels she's just crazy enough to win it.

They march steadily towards the Town Center. Once they get there, his father scoops him up in a tight hug. "I'll see you afterwards," He says. His smile doesn't reach his eyes, which are wide with fear.

"I'll see you then," Kakashi says, and goes to register. There's a brief sting when his blood is tested, and then he's pushed onto the square where he has to join the other fifteen year olds. Gai is a year older than him and has to stand with the older kids, so there's no time for them to talk. Kakashi ends up next to a boy he vaguely recognizes as one of his classmates, a loud kid who insists on wearing goggles everywhere. Kakashi gets the feeling the kid doesn't like him much, but he's not sure why.

When everyone has filed in, the large screens at the front of the square light up and the Capitol anthem plays. It's every bit as bombastic and tacky as last year, and it's not helped by the slightly too enthusiastic voice-over that summarizes over sixty years of history in a few scant sentences.

There was a war that ended sixty-one years ago, the Districts rebelled, Capitol people died, yada yada yada. The rebels' kids paid for it in the first Hunger Games. Their descendants are still paying for it every year, because the Capitol figures it's a good way to keep them tame. They're not wrong. After a few more minutes of bullshit, the video ends and the screens show a close-up of the stage instead.

The Capitol delegation is pretty small, as per usual. There's the Escort, who will pick the Tributes' names and guide them while they're in the Capitol, and there's a handful of people Kakashi isn't sure what they do. They each look bizarre, with bright hair colors and thick layers of make-up.

The Escort is a different one from last year. She's a young woman with long, blood red hair and striking grey eyes. Her name is Uzumaki Kushina, and the fact that she doesn't wear as much make-up as the other Capitol monkeys and that her voice is solemn when she introduces herself makes Kakashi like her just a little bit more than he otherwise would.

Doesn't mean she's not here to condemn kids to death, though.

The mentors are on the left of the stage, sitting in simple chairs and waiting to find out who their new Tributes will be. Kakashi knows the older one is Asuma's dad; he's in his late fifties or something, with severe lines around dark eyes, and his hair is thinning pretty badly. His name is Sarutobi Hiruzen, but everyone calls him either Sarutobi or 'Third', because he was the third Victor Leaf district ever had. Kakashi remembers liking the man the few times they met.

The other mentor is much younger, probably not a day over 24. He's handsome, almost feminine, with wild blond hair and crystal blue eyes. The Capitol loves him, people say. But Kakashi remembers his games and knows that despite his sweet appearance, Namikaze Minato is absolutely lethal with a blade. Kakashi has never seen anyone move as fast as that desperate sixteen year old tribute did in his final battle. He wonders if he could move like that, if he was pushed into a corner.

There's another living victor in Konoha, but like Kakashi's dad she doesn't leave the house. She was reaped along with her boyfriend, and people say she was never the same after she got home. Her baby brother got reaped two years later, and that was the end of her sanity.

Uzumaki Kushina has finished her introduction, and that is usually when the Escort wishes them all a 'Happy Hunger Games'. It's the biggest joke in the world and always puts a frown on Kakashi's face. He's glad when Kushina doesn't say it, then remembers that it's ridiculous to be grateful to the lady who's come to take two kids to their graves _._

The kid next to him is shifting nervously on his feet, wild enough that his shoulder bumps into Kakashi's. Kakashi gives him an annoyed look. _Really?_

Dark eyes look back at him through orange glass as the other boy glares back. _Shut up_ , he seems to be saying. Then the boy looks away again, staring at the back of a girl a few rows away.

Kakashi rolls his eyes.

The Escort is about to start calling names.

Sometimes, the previous escort would take ages to pick a card, waiting long enough that some of the kids would start crying. Kushina is not as cruel. She snatches a card from the bowl without smiling. Her voice is steady when she calls out the first name.

"Nohara Rin."

As always, there's a momentary silence. Kakashi blinks. Rin is _his_ age. She's in a parallel class, a quiet studious sort of girl who doesn't draw attention to herself. She's one of the few who doesn't look at Kakashi or his dad like they're vermin.

Kakashi hates Kushina a little bit for drawing out Rin's name.

The boy next to Kakashi cries out, " _No!"_ when the peacemakers move towards Rin, but Rin straightens her shoulders, and moves towards the podium. Her lip is shaking but her eyes are dry, and _shit_ she's brave.

Kushina waits until Rin is on the podium, where she briefly hugs the girl. Rin moves off to the side, where Asuma's dad puts a comforting hand on her shoulder. She looks stunned.

Kushina moves over to the boy's bowl and Kakashi's heart starts to thunder. The boys around him go tense, feet shuffling and shoulders raised.

Kakashi's name is in there four times for the amount of years he's been alive, and another three times for the tesserae he had to take. Seven times total, out of.. what? Over three thousand, according to his dad.

May the odds be ever in your favor. Ha.

Kushina picks a card and reads it out loud.

"Hatake Kakashi."

Somehow, he's not surprised.

Everyone is staring at him. The kid next to him -Obiro? Obito?- blinks a few times, before reaching out and squeezing his shoulder. A look over his shoulder tells Kakashi that Gai is crying silently.

Kakashi thinks about his dad, back in the crowds. His dad, who can barely get up in the morning because he's so blue. His dad, who only has Kakashi.

He knows, with sudden certainty, that he has to win. That if he doesn't, his dad won't bother getting up anymore. That he'll waste away like he's less than dust.

Kakashi has to win for his dad's sake. He can't die out there.

His feet are moving and the crowd parts to let him through. It's bad luck that it's two kids from the same year, he hears someone whisper. Bad luck that one generation gets to lose two of its number. But at least it's Hatake's kid, right? No one ever had high expectations for Hatake's kid.

Kakashi can see himself on the viewing screen, his face enlarged a thousand times. He looks young, his shoulders thin and his dark eyes wide. Is that really him? He looks like he's already lost.

He squares his shoulders, like Rin did, and he looks slightly better on the screen. He's gotta win for his dad.

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 **Author's Note:**

 **May the odds be ever in your favor!**

 **'But Hiraeth,' I hear you say, 'why is Kushina an Evil Capitol Escort?' All will be explained, young Padawan. Rest assured she is every bit the good-hearted, brave woman that she is in canon, but some characters have been maneuvered into unlikely positions for this story to work out. Wait until we meet Jiraiya..**

 **This will probably be a fairly long story, with longer chapters than this first one. I've written out most of it so updates will be regular. Plus, sequel potential..?**

 **Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. If so, please leave a review :D Writers live for reviews!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2.**

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Kakashi feels numb by the time he reaches the stage. His feet move automatically, his body a husk that moves on autopilot. Uzumaki Kushina smiles at him. There's something behind her eyes he can't identify. She pulls him into a hug like she did with Rin.

"I'm _so sorry._ Truly _."_ She whispers, then straightens. For a moment he sees regret in her face, but then her eyes go carefully blank. She puts her mask back on and turns to the crowd. It occurs to him that her face was hidden from the camera's when she hugged him.

"Please give a warm applause for this year's heroic Tributes, Nohara Rin and Hatake Kakashi!" She calls out into the microphone.

Kakashi steps up next to Rin. Her eyes are scanning the crowd. Looking for her family, Kakashi thinks. He tries to find his father in the crowd, searches for that familiar shock of silver hair, but he can't find it. Did his father leave? Or was he unable to stand it, and had he sunk to the ground? Kakashi feels nauseous.

A small, warm hand grabs his. Rin's fingers are surprisingly strong. Kakashi looks at her with wide eyes. She smiles back at him, although her eyes look terrified.

Yeah. Scary brave.

Kakashi hesitantly squeezes her fingers in return. Rin's smile widens and she turns back to face the District. Kakashi looks as well. He can see Gai now, who has regained his composure and is trying very hard to look tough, his shoulders squared and his thick eyebrows drawn together. He catches Kakashi's eye and balls his fist in front of his chest, as if to say, _'you can do this.'_

Maybe. Maybe. Kakashi will try. Gai's faith in him is just one more reason to try.

Kushina finishes her speech, which is followed by a tame applause from the District. Kakashi remembers standing in the audience and clapping himself, feeling a dull sense of dread at the idea that the kids who'd just been reaped were probably going to die, yet relief because he wasn't one of them. He wishes he could go back to being one of _them_ , one of the lucky ones who wasn't reaped. Just last night dad told him not to take any more tesserae. Kakashi wishes he'd taken that lesson to heart last year.

Peacekeepers join them on the stage to herd them to the mayor's house. The mentors are nowhere to be seen, but Kushina assures them they will meet back on the train.

The mayor is a man of perhaps thirty, his black hair pulled back into a short ponytail. A nasty accident with a drunk with a knife has left the mayor's face mutilated, but his keen mind and fair policies ensure his popularity in the District.

Kakashi has met him a few times. He's a nice man, if a bit severe, and very, very clever. He has a toddler back at home, and a wife. In other words, plenty of reason to care.

He shakes Kushina's hand. "Nara Shikaku," He introduces himself, "the children may wait in the drawing rooms over there. There is one for Rin and one for Kakashi."

Children, not tributes. Kakashi doesn't miss the distinction. A nice sentiment, but it won't save their lives.

Kushina nods. She turns to Kakashi and Rin. Her fake smile has disappeared again and her brows are furrowed. "I'm afraid you won't have much time. You will have ten minutes to say goodbye to your family, two guests at a time. Don't try anything, the Peacekeepers will shoot you with tranquilizers if you do."

"What are we, cattle?" Kakashi sneers. The fog in his mind has begun to lift, which apparently means he's capable of making sarcastic remarks again. That probably won't help him here.

Rin bites her lip and looks at the ground.

Kushina has the decency to flinch. "I know it's-" She breaks off and looks at the walls. Kakashi can see her swallow.

"Go to your room. Rin takes the one on the left, Kakashi the one on the right. Hurry now, the Peacekeepers will not wait." She says, whatever she had wanted to say originally remaining a mystery. Her eyes are steely and hard, but her voice softens. "Go now. Your parents want to see you."

My _parents_ are either dead or as-good-as, Kakashi wants to say, but he holds back. He _does_ want to see his dad, more than anything, and he hopes that Sakumo managed to fortify himself enough to show up for this. Kakashi _needs_ him to.

He allows himself to be led into the room. It's nice, nicer than any of the houses or buildings in the rest of the District. The furniture is simple but of good quality. Kakashi picks out a chair and carefully lowers himself into it, marveling at the sensation of the soft cushions supporting his body.

He's on his feet the next second when the door slams open and his father storms in. Sakumo's face is white as a sheet and his eyes look wild and dark. "Kakashi? Oh god- my _son-_ "

Then he's clutching at Kakashi, and Kakashi is clutching back, digging his fingers into the rough spun fabric of his father's shirt. His father sobs once into Kakashi's shoulder, then pulls back. He wipes at the tears on his face and then cradles Kakashi's head between his still strong hands.

"Kakashi, you listen to me now. There's no time to despair, no time at all- you gotta- you gotta focus, and you gotta win, okay? And you can only do that if you _don't panic-"_ Sakumo rambles. His eyes are wild but so so alive.

It's really quite ironic that Kakashi's impending death has brought his father back to life.

Kakashi takes hold of his father's hands. "Dad, I know- I'm not stupid," Kakashi says.

"Exactly, _exactly_." Sakumo points at him, his every movement full of pent up energy, as though he'd been storing it for years only to use it all up here and now. "You _use_ your mind, son. You'll outsmart them all. You can _win_ this. I know you can. Don't stop thinking. Don't panic. You can _do it_."

Kakashi feels tears in his eyes because somehow, _somehow_ , his dad is awake. He grabs his dad's shirt again and can't meet his eyes. He feels like a little kid again, scared of the noise the trees make when they fall down. He doesn't know how to express his feelings very well, never has, so he just buries his face in his father's chest. Sakumo's arms wrap around him, safe and warm. Kakashi pretends they're not shaking.

"Dad- how did mom..? She got shot, right?" Kakashi forced himself out of his father's embrace and met his eyes.

Sakumo blinked at him. Pain flickers over his face and for a moment he is himself again, broken and sad, but then he takes a deep breath. "See? Already using your mind. Your mom, she trusted too much. Don't trust anything, not even your surroundings. Food, water, animals- the Capitol likes to mess with them so they can mess with your head. Half the kids die because of the Arena. Don't be one of them. Don't die at all."

He chokes on the last few words and they hug again.

"I _can't lose you._ " Sakumo whispers.

"I'll _win._ I will. I'll win for you." Kakashi promises.

"Don't- but don't- that girl. Rin? Don't leave her behind. Never leave your District friends behind." Sakumo says vehemently. "Work together. You'll live longer together. _Promise_ me."

"I-I can't win if she lives."

"I know, I know. But killing- it does things to you, son. Don't do that to someone you care about." Sakumo says urgently.

"One more thing. Listen to your mentors." Sakumo says, "Hiruzen and Minato are good ones. I've seen them fight, too, and the more you can learn from them the better. Absorb every bit of information you get, okay?"

Kakashi nods. That was never the problem. He knows he's clever- he's the cleverest kid in his class and he remembers almost everything he's told automatically. His teacher used to say he has a mind like a trap, and he knows this is true. He can memorize things instantly and then bend and twist them into new ideas.

Other than that? He's short for his age and lean, hasn't got much strength in his arms or back. But he's fast. So he's got speed, and he's got brains. Size and strength are out, but two out of four isn't bad. Could be worse. It's not impossible.

Maybe. He'll try.

They spend a few more moments huddled together. His father continues to whisper advice and encouragements, but he gets increasingly incoherent as the minutes tick by. By the end of it his eyes have gone dull again, but that's okay. Kakashi is grateful that he got to see the man underneath again, even if it was so briefly.

Sakumo has to be pried loose from their embrace when the time is up. Kakashi wants to tell him he loves him but can't bring himself to do it. He hopes his last look manages to convey it anyway.

The room closes behind Kakashi's dad and the Peacekeepers, and with it the room goes silent. A tremendous amount of restlessness takes over Kakashi's limbs, and he paces the room. He feels as though he is about to burst when the door opens again and Gai comes through.

Kakashi stops pacing and the boys look at each other. Gai sits down carefully in one of the chairs. Where Kakashi feels like a bundle of nerves and energy, Gai is uncharacteristically lackluster and pale beneath his tan.

Kakashi continues to pace. Gai doesn't say anything. This goes on for, what, two minutes? Then Gai shifts uneasily and finally speaks. He sounds like a little kid when he does.

"You always beat me at wrestling," he offers, "our score is 30-29, your advantage."

What he means to tell Kakashi by it, he isn't sure. A laugh bubbles up in Kakashi's throat and escapes before he can stop himself. It's a single, desperate sound. He's probably off to his death and here Gai is, reminding him of their ridiculous competitions.

"So- so I was thinking.. If you win the Games, you'll have a 1-0 head start." Gai powered through.

"You're not going to be reaped." Kakashi says.

"Maybe. Maybe not. If I am, I'll win too, I'll catch up with you." Gai says, and there's tears in his eyes. To be fair, Gai is a giant crybaby who'll cry at the first show of kindness if given the chance, so Kakashi doesn't read too much into it. The other kids tease him mercilessly about it, but Kakashi, who cannot express himself if his life depends on it, appreciates the quality. It's why they're friends, probably.

Just as he now appreciates what Gai is trying to say. It's ridiculous, it's childish, but it's another anchor for him to weigh himself down with and keep from being swept up by sheer and utter panic.

"Thanks. I'll win for sure." He looks over Gai's head as he says it, though. Anything to not look at that dumb grin on his friend's face. He wants to shake Gai and tell him that he'll probably die horribly, with trained Careers preening over his body, but Gai is so hopeful that Kakashi can't bring himself to do it.

He'll have to try.

They spend the rest of the time in the uncomfortable silence of two boys who, despite their friendship, lack that snap of connection that marks easy friendships such as Asuma and Kurenai's. They're too different to be able to bounce ideas and jokes off each other, and the situation is too terse for either of them to try.

Still, Gai actually _came_ , which is more than Kakashi can say for any of his other classmates. It puts Gai head and shoulders above all the rest, no matter what. He wonders what they think Kakashi's odds of winning are. He suspects they root for Rin, who has many friends and is liked by everyone she meets. Only two people will be sad if Kakashi dies. Many more will be devastated if Rin does. His stomach does a funny little lurch.

Gai leaves with drooping shoulders and Kakashi thinks that perhaps Gai already knows he probably won't come back. The thought that even someone as oblivious as Gai can see it crushes his tentative confidence even further.

* * *

The Peacekeepers herd Rin and Kakashi to the train. Kakashi has never been this close to the train before- it looks dangerous and looming, and it smells like the air after a thunder storm.

The train starts to move with a deep shudder, shortly after they board. Kakashi can barely even feel that they're moving at all. He looks back through the window and sees the landscape flash by. They're already leaving Konoha District's familiar forest behind them.

Kushina smiles a little at Kakashi and Rin's astonished faces, then quickly moves on and shows them how to work the holo-screens that seem to occupy every room, as well as the lights. The disconnect between this world and the one Kakashi is familiar with is so extreme that he feels like he is dreaming. Judging by Rin's dazed expression, she feels the same way.

The holo-screen shows some nonsensical show about a Capitol woman who falls in love with a mysterious barber. The sub-plot seems to consist of the barber being a disguised secret agent, which makes no sense whatsoever and does nothing to distract Kakashi from his impending doom.

Fortunately Rin feels the same way, and with a decisive move she turns the holo-screen off. They sit next to each other on the couch and don't speak. There's no need to. Kakashi feels more kinship with this girl he's barely even talked to than he does to anyone else right now. He doesn't try to distance himself from the feeling even though he knows his survival means her death and vice versa, because he doesn't think he can cope without at least _one_ person around who understands how knowing you're probably going to die soon feels.

God, the Victors must be going crazy.

Kushina shows up after a few minutes and guides them to the adjacent room, which is large and luxurious. They sit down at a table that is crammed full of more food than Kakashi has ever seen in his life. The mentors are sitting at the table as well, and Kakashi draws some comfort from their familiar faces.

"Please, take a seat," Sarutobi says, gesturing at the table. The food looks even better from up close. Kakashi smells chicken, fresh bread, the sweet lingering taste of fruit, and other smells he can't even identify. It smells like paradise.

He takes a seat opposite Namikaze Minato, who smiles at him. He tries to remember when the blond won his Games. He can't remember, so he figures he must have been young. That means Minato was young, too, which means he is _good_. Minato gives him a sunny smile. Kakashi frowns.

Rin takes place beside him. She folds her hands in her lap and smiles back at Minato. "It is an honor to meet you both," She says softly.

Kakashi sniffs. He looks at the plate set before him and the delicious smelling soup bowl right next to it. For a moment he thinks his father, saying 'trust nothing'- but it smells too good, and anyway, they won't kill him off on the way there. He takes the bowl in both hands, puts aside thoughts of poison, brings it to his mouth, and drinks deeply. The soup tastes rich and hot. It's the best thing he's ever had.

"That's Miso Soup," Sarutobi says. He looks amused. "Eggplant." He clarifies.

Kakashi nods, and drinks more. Rin is giving him funny looks. She hasn't taken any food yet. Why not? Isn't she hungry? The others are all looking at him, with various degrees of amusement on their faces. He frowns back at them all. "What? I'm hungry,"

"Nothing, Kakashi-kun," Minato says, shaking his head. "Let's dig in, shall we? And, I think, with our next meal, we might practice table manners."

Oh. Really? Gosh. He was on his way to certain death and they worried about _table manners?_

Sarutobi must have spotted his incredulous look. "Appearances are important in the Capitol, Kakashi. Remember that. It might save your life."

"How so-"

"It's about sponsors, isn't it?" Rin interrupts him. It's the first thing he's heard her say. Her voice is soft, but sure and steady, not timid like he'd imagined.

She gives him an apologetic look. "You see, Kakashi- people will want to help us if they like us. They can send us medicine and food while we're in the arena ."

Kakashi crosses his arms across his chest. That makes sense, but it makes him feel sick. He's not a very likeable person. His lack of friends attests to that.

"You are actually quite lucky, Kakashi-kun," Kushina says. "You have a striking appearance. The Capitol will love it. And Rin-chan is a very pretty girl."

"Striking?" Kakashi repeats incredulously.

"Not many people have hair like that."

Kakashi tries to think of an answer to that but comes up blank. His hair, which will only stand up in impossible directions, stays wet for hours after washing it, and earned him the nickname 'ghost' when he was a kid, has never seemed like much of an asset to him. So instead he shrugs and returns to his soup, draining the last dregs with a few deep tugs.

Dinner is a quiet affair. Minato and Sarutobi ask them about their families. When Kakashi only answers in sentences that are, on average, about three words long, they quickly switch to Rin. She tells them about her father, a kind wood-worker, and her older brother, who aged out of the Reaping last year. Her mother is a midwife, and good at carving figures out of the scraps of wood her husband brings home. They sound like good, kind people. People deserve better.

It feels almost nice to sit at the table and eat with strangers, but Kakashi misses his father and is too aware of what is to come to truly enjoy the moment. The food is great, however, so he focuses on that instead. He is aware of Sarutobi's eyes on him the entire course.

When they finish eating, Minato claps his hands together once. "For simplicity's sake, we decided to each coach one of you individually. While it would be wonderful for the two of you to work together in the Arena, you will also need to learn individual skills."

He glanced over at Sarutobi. "We've decided I will mentor Kakashi, and Hiruzen will mentor Rin."

Kakashi blinks and looks at Minato's kind blue eyes. Minato is handsome, with tan skin, long blond bangs and sky blue eyes. He doesn't look threatening in the least. He does not look like a Victor, truth be told. He looks like a man who has spent his life unburdened and happy. This is probably not the case, but still Kakashi doubts his ability to teach Kakashi the skills he needs to survive. If he'd had to choose a mentor, he would have chosen Sarutobi, who is more experienced and has an edge of coldness in his eyes at all times, even when he plays with children or talks to his son.

There is no coldness in Namikaze Minato. Not that Kakashi can tell, anyway.

After they leave the table, they mentors leave the room to discuss strategy while Kushina walks the Tributes through a few basic steps of Capitol etiquette. Kakashi has a hard time focusing. It has gone dark outside, they have left the District behind, and without artificial lighting the stars can be seen easily. It's breathtakingly beautiful.

Kushina notices and follows his gaze. Rin gasps softly. Her eyes widen and seem to reflect the stars themselves. She _is_ pretty. She is also entirely too innocent for something as vile as the Hunger Games.

Kakashi doesn't sleep much that night.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **Posting early to cheer myself up. The next chapter will be a little bit longer!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3.**

* * *

 **For those who d** **on't know, tributes can attract Capitol sponsors, who can send them equipment and food in the arena and thereby potentially save their lives. That's why tributes want to be liked by the audience.**

* * *

Kakashi wakes up in endlessly soft pillows and a duvet he would have killed for back in the district. For one blissful moment he thinks he is dreaming, but then the train shakes as it thunders over a bumpy piece of track, and he remembers.

He's been reaped. He's on his way to the capitol, where millions of people will watch him die.

 _Right_.

He stares up at the ceiling briefly. Then, on impulse, he pushes himself up and begins a series of quick sit-ups. He might as well _try_. The sit-ups are followed by push-ups, and then a few squads- for once, he's grateful for the bastard teacher back at the District school who liked to punish kids with physical exercise- and becomes so absorbed by it that he almost falls off the bed when someone knocks on the door.

It's Minato, sticking his yellow head around the door and smiling pleasantly. "Are you awake, Kakashi? Oh, you are. Excellent. Will you come to breakfast?"

Kakashi rubs his head and hopes he hasn't turned red. At times like these he wishes he could hide his face somehow. Perhaps a scarf would do. He nods reluctantly and wonders what types of food would be best to keep up his strength. Meat, probably. Eggs? They rarely got either of those back home. Does he even like eggs? He can't remember.

He puts on yesterday's clothes and enters the hallway. Outside, an unfamiliar landscape passes them by quickly. He doesn't linger. Best not to think too much.

The others are already in the dining room, seated around a well-filled table. Kushina immediately comes over and steers him towards the nearest sink, where she tells him to wash his hands. He frowns at her and tells her he's not a _complete_ idiot. She gives him a stern look that he thinks would be more fitting on the face of the district orphanage matron, and he obeys.

Rin smiles at him when he sits down. He smiles back- or tries to, because he's not sure when he last smiled properly. It comes out weirdly crooked, one half of his mouth going up while the other half stays down. He doubts it reaches his eyes. Rin's smile doesn't fade, though.

"Well, Kakashi-kun, did you sleep wel?" Minato asks, with that same damned cheer.

Kakashi hums under his breath. "Alright," he mutters.

"Good, good," Minato says. "I realize how bizarre all of this must seem to you. Yesterday you were having a normal day back home in the District, and now you're on your way to the Capital. Trust me, I do understand," Minato begins, in what Kakashi recognizes as what has to be the world's most pathetic attempt at gaining their confidence.

"What we're here for, however, is to get the two of you as ready as possible for the Games," Minato continues. "I know it may seem impossible right now, but that's how I felt too. Yet here I am today."

Kakashi snorts. Rin shoots him a worried look.

"What will you be teaching us?" she asks, drawing the attention away from Kakashi.

Sarutobi smiles, the lines in his face lifting a little. "As Rin pointed out yesterday, we will need the two of you to be likeable and presentable. Manners are just one part of that. Smiles work too," he gives Kakashi a pointed look, "as will taking care of one's personal appearance. It may seem ridiculous to look good before a fight to the death, but it may just save your life. Kushina will be your guide in all of this."

Hmm. Strategic pampering. Alright.

Kushina gives them a determined smile. The corners of her mouth waver a little. Kakashi has a feeling she hates this almost as much as he does.

"Secondly, we'll be teaching you some general strategy," Minato takes over, "What to do in the arena, what not to do... That sort of thing."

"What about weapon training?" Kakashi interrupts. Strategy is good and all that, but what is he going to do when a boy twice his size bowls him to the ground?

"I was about to get to that," Minato gives him a smile that is somehow equal parts exasperated and kind. "Do either of you have any experience in fighting, or handling weapons?"

Kakashi shrugs. "Do street fights count?"

"Yes," Minato says, almost eagerly. "Who did you fight?"

"Gai, sometimes. He likes wrestling. And some other kids who got annoying."

"Annoying how?"

"They were bullying Gai. Or saying things about- saying bad things." He'd almost misspoken, there. He has to be more careful. He doesn't want to talk about his dad to these people who smile too much.

"Well, that's good," Sarutobi says. "What about you, Rin?"

Rin shakes her head and looks down at the table. Her cheeks are red. "No. I- sometimes I would bandage my brother's scrapes, if he hurt himself at work... I have handled an axe to cut up the wood, too..."

So has the rest of the district, Kakashi thinks unkindly. On the upside, he's the only other person from their district who's in the games. If he ignores the fact that the Grass district uses scythes or that the Mist district uses spears, it's almost comforting.

"Bandaging and taking care of injuries is a useful skill to have," Kushina says kindly, placing a hand on Rin's shoulder. Rin looks up at the redhead and smiles gratefully.

Kakashi leans back into his seat and stares at his food. It's a rich meal- full of nutrition, and probably tastier than anything he's ever had. Why can the Capitol waste money on this, but not on the general welfare of the people in the Districts? Why have them discuss strategies and look as pretty as possible when they are all probably going to die, anyhow?

"Twenty people. One Victor," he mumbles. " _One_ Victor. So... Forget general strategy. What's going to give us an edge?"

He eyes Minato and Sarutobi, who watch him in return. They exchange a look he can't read. "How about you list your strengths for us, Kakashi-kun? And you too, Rin-chan?" Sarutobi asks kindly.

Kakashi frowns. "I know my own skills. I hardly see how any of them will help me."

"You strike me as a bright young man," Sarutobi says, "and I remember your parents. They were bright, too."

Kakashi flinches. _Were_. "My father is alive," he mutters angrily. "No matter what the District might prefer."

Sarutobi's smile fades. "Of course. My apologies, Kakashi-kun. I just wanted to suggest you may want to focus on strategy, after all. It might serve you well."

Kakashi has never seen his mother's Games, but he knows that she tried to focus on strategy. He knows it worked well for her, well enough to get all the way to the last three. And then some girl from the Suna district caught her in the throat with a poison arrow.

He looks at his mentors and wonders if they know her name, or her connection to him. He hopes they don't. It feels too personal, even though millions of people watched her die, live on screen. It seems only fair that he should keep her secret from the few who didn't see it, at least.

" What else is there?" He says sharply.

"The two of you may want to consider teaming up with other Tributes," Minato offers. "It's a risky strategy, but there is definitely strength in numbers. In the following days you will have the opportunity to meet the other Tributes and ascertain their strengths. Avoid the Tributes from Mist and Sand, they're Careers- but the other District Tributes could be valuable allies."

"What about each other?" Rin asks suddenly. "Kakashi and I could work together, too."

Sarutobi smiles. "Yes. I'd certainly recommend that. If you bundle your strengths, you may benefit from it."

Kakashi gives his fellow Tribute a once-over. She's of average height, but slender. Quite pretty, with big doe-like eyes and straight, brown hair that falls to her chin. She doesn't look like a fighter at all.

He can't really picture her dead either.

"We could try that," he concedes.

Rin beams at him. "I'd like that, Kakashi. We'll work hard together."

How is she so cheerful? Does she not have that sense of impending doom that every other sane human being had? No, wait, she did. She'd looked scared at the Reaping. Why not now, though?

"We'll reach the Capitol in two hours," Sarutobi says, interrupting his thoughts. "Once we're there, the two of you will be taken towards your new quarters, where you will be groomed and have time to rest."

Kakashi's train of thought takes a steep left, derails, and flies into the canyon. " _Grooming?"_

"Being presentable will make you more likeable," Kushina says primly, and rubs the fabric of his sleeve between two fingers. "You'll also receive new clothing that follows Capitol fashion."

Even Rin seems daunted by that. She's gone pale and her brown eyes are wide. "Ah... Will we have to dye our hair? Or... or wear make-up?"

"It's the feathers and high heels I'm worried about," Kakashi grumbles, trying to pass of genuine anxiety over being made to look like a fool off as teenage sulkiness.

"W-well, it's true Capitol fashion can be a _bit_ eccentric," Kushina's defence of Capitol fashion is interrupted when Minato begins to laugh. She elbows him, and continues on as if nothing happened. "I wouldn't worry- they won't do anything too extreme. Well, I think."

" _You think?"_ Kakashi remembers the opening parade. Oh. _Oh._ Scratch dying in an arena hundreds of miles away from home- he'll die of embarrassment first if he is primped up the way the Tributes usually are. Cleavage going below the navel for girls and boys alike, glitter everywhere, probably a terrible imitation of wood bark painted onto their skins... Yeah, no. He would rather die a fiery death than go through with that.

His face must show some of his terror, because Rin suddenly begins to giggle. Not smile, or even laugh, no, _giggle_. Like she can't stop.

"I'm sorry- it's just- the mental image- we're going off to _die_ , but first we get to dress up like parrots-" she snorts, her giggling suddenly taking on an entirely new meaning.

That's not humor, it's hysteria. Kakashi feels like joining in.

* * *

The train thunders into the station two hours later, as promised. When the engines die down, the noise does not- when Kakashi looks out of the window he realizes it's people, cheering and clapping.

They're being applauded.

Minato appears next to him with a big, wide grin. "Smile," he says, forcing it out from between pearly white teeth, "Remember, being likeable is important."

 _So is not dying,_ Kakashi thinks, but he forces a tentative smile on his face. "They already know who got reaped, right? So they know what they look like?"

"Yes," Minato replies, still with that slightly unnerving look. He reaches out a hand and ruffles Kakashi's hair. When Kakashi wants to duck away, Minato's hand follows him and draws him back in. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to make you uncomfortable. But I'm- well, popular here. If they see us interact like this, you get to share my spotlight for a bit."

 _Popular_ , huh? Minato is handsome in a sleek, almost effeminate way. His bright yellow hair, tan skin and blue eyes complete the picture.

Kakashi is not naive. Minato's appearance is probably a large reason for his popularity. Minato even has something of a reputation as playboy, although Kakashi finds that hard to imagine. He suddenly finds himself wishing for bright colouring himself, instead of the cold monochrome he's inherited from his father.

They exit the train with a guard escort, of course. Even here, in the public eye, the Capitol doesn't bother to pretend they're anything other than what they are. They're herded towards another vehicle Kakashi has never seen the inside of, and moments later they're off.

Rin's cheeks are flushed. She looks highly uncomfortable. "I feel sick," she admits quietly.

An aid points out of the windows. "Try to keep your eyes on the horizon. It helps," she suggests.

Kakashi fights the urge to roll his eyes. Car sickness. _Sure_. That's likely. "Try breathing in through your nose. Hold it for three seconds, then breathe out through your mouth," he mutters. It helps his father relax, sometimes.

Rin gives him a look that quickly turns into a grateful smile. It doesn't last long, though- she needs to concentrate on her breathing. Contrary to what you might think, breathing in a specific way is a lot harder than it seems. Kakashi knows.

Once they exit the car Rin's face has gained a bit of colour. Kushina takes over here, and leads them into the building. Everything looks sleek and white and clean. It's as if no one has ever walked the floors or used the utilities. It doesn't look human at all.

Minato puts a hand on his shoulder and steers him left when Rin, Sarutobi and Kushina go right.

"Is this where the grooming bit comes in?" Kakashi asks, already dreading the answer.

Minato grimaces. "I won't lie to you. It won't be pretty. If you're like me they'll find dirt in places you'd never expect there to be any."

Kakashi manages to bristle and shudder simultaneously. "Who do they think we are? We have baths," he protests.

Minato gives a funny half-smile and a shrug. "We don't use them very often, though."

Hmm, well. Perhaps if they had enough time to heat water and actually take a bath, that would be different. Thanks, Capitol. "If they think we stink, it's their own fault," Kakashi mutters.

"After you've been groomed and dressed in your costume, the parade will start. Normally there might have been a day or so between the arrival and the parade, but President Shimura decided to speed things up. It is what it is. I have no idea what theme the Haruno's have come up with for your outfit, but you'll have to wait and see," Minato says, his voice picking up speed as they near another door. "Remember: when you're in the parade, no matter how ridiculous you feel, _smile_ and _wave_. That's all. Smile and wave."

Kakashi wants to ask who the Haruno's are, but he's too late. The door before him opens and he is ushered through. Minato doesn't follow him. A few aids steer him towards a steel grey cubicle that he recognizes as a shower.

There's a man standing in front of it, and he's possibly the most ridiculous human being Kakashi has ever laid eyes on. He smiles as he sees Kakashi, and touches his own hair. Kakashi would think the move was self-conscious, except that the man's hair is bubblegum pink and vaguely resembles a star. There are sideburns, too. He _should_ be self-conscious, but Kakashi has the awful feeling the opposite is true.

"Haruno Kizashi, a pleasure. I will be your stylist for the duration of your Games. You must be Hatake Kakashi, from the Leaf District," Kizashi says pleasantly. He has watery blue eyes and a warm voice. "Now, let's see if we can make you less of a scarecrow, ehh? Ha! Do you see what I did there?"

Unfortunately, Kakashi does. _Smile and wave_. "Ha," he says.

Kizashi grins even wider, and points at the shower. "Now, off with those clothes. We need to get you clean."

Kakashi blinks and waits. When Kizashi and his aids make no effort whatsoever to leave, it begins to dawn on him.

"You expect me to undress in front of you," he says blankly.

Kizashi nods. "Don't be embarrassed, you've nothing I haven't seen a thousand times before." He reaches out to a nearby table and turns a framed photograph of a pink-haired toddler so that it's no longer facing Kakashi. "Go ahead!"

Kakashi's ears are burning when he slowly strips off his clothes. He didn't feel dirty until he suddenly had four pairs of critical Capitol eyes on his body- now, he's fairly sure he's the dirtiest kid in the world.

Kizashi tilts his head and tuts. "Could have been worse. I hope my wife is just as lucky with your fellow Tribute. Now, under the shower with you!"

To Kakashi's mortification, they don't leave him alone once he's under the shower, either. In fact, the moment he steps under the scalding hot water stream, one of the aids begins to brush his back with what feels like sandpaper. He flinches away, only to be met by Kizashi's sponge. It's a formidable pincer-move on their part, and he briefly feels admiration. Then, the aid's brush disappears below waist-level.

The minutes that follow are amongst the most mortifying of Kakashi's life. To hell with the Games- _this_ would be enough to give him nightmares. To his shame, Minato had been right as well- dirt really could gather in places you'd never expect.

He's still blushing by the time he takes place in something that's probably supposed to be a chair, but resembles a torture device. Once there, he's subjected to scissors snipping just a little bit too close to his ears for comfort, a razorblade (applied rather liberally to his jaw, armpits, and bafflingly, chest- not that there was much to shave in the first place), and a mean-looking pincer that does things to his eyebrows that bring tears to his eyes.

When it's over, the chair tilts forward once more and he sees a stranger in the mirror.

Okay, that's a dramatic, Gai-like figure of speech, but it _is_ strange to see himself with his hair a couple of inches shorter, and eyebrows that could cut a man.

Kizashi nods, clearly satisfied with the result. "It brings out your cheekbones," he says, though Kakashi has no idea what that's supposed to mean.

Then, Kizashi takes a handful of gelatinous looking goop and promptly upends it on Kakashi's head. The next few minutes are spent sculpting Kakashi's hair into impossible peaks and curls whilst cooing over the 'marvellous colour, you'll set trends if you win', before Kizashi finally slicks it back while retaining some volume at the top. Kakashi begins to grimace.

"Good. Now then, make-up," Kizashi holds out a hand and someone places a brush in it. Then he begins to smooth away blemishes and ruins Kakashi's hard-earned tan in the process. Not burning in the sun is hard when you're as pale as Kakashi naturally is, and he feels oddly insulted that Kizashi chooses to lighten it to an unnaturally pale color. Indignation quickly turns into horror as Kizashi applies black eye shadow in rather creative patterns around Kakashi's eyes.

"What... what theme are we going with?" he asks, almost afraid to find out.

"Forest fae," Kizashi answers, going for Kakashi's cheeks. The black hollows out Kakashi's face and makes him look even thinner than before. With a spirited grin, Kizashi finishes the final line.

The final effect is rather terrifying. To the stylist's credit, Kakashi doesn't look much like a boy anymore. Instead, he looks like a skeleton. That's foreshadowing for you.

Kizashi sees his expression and slumps slightly. "It will look good from a distance, trust me."

The costume, at least, is not quite as embarrassing as it might have been. It's tight, much tighter than Kakashi would like, but it doesn't show anything he doesn't want to show (aside from the V-neck, which at least explains the misguided attempt at shaving his chest). It's all in forest colours; green, brown, and a hint of dark blue, all of it dark enough that he would be camouflaged quite effectively in Konoha's forests. Vines seem to grow from his sleeves and curl around his lower arms.

A pair of dusty grey wings are attached to the back. They're tattered and droop a little. He hates them with an intensity.

"Kind of a dark fae thing, huh?" Kakashi guesses. He's not sure of what else to say.

The final touch is a small band of leaves, branches and vines placed around his head. It curls over his forehead rather artistically, and resembles a cross between a tiara and a flower crown. Kakashi is glad they didn't go with the tiara idea.

"Don't you look scary?" Kizashi claps his hands as Kakashi steps in front of the mirror. Scary is one word. Kakashi feels 'ridiculous' might be more accurate. But if he has to be honest, it is strangely striking and lends Kakashi's pale features an almost ethereal air. He could probably pass quite well as a fae- assuming the fae appeared on an ambitious but low-budget tv series.

Rin, it turns out, has been given a similar get-up. Her crown is an _actual_ flower crown, and her dress flows elegantly around her figure. She is the light, good fae to Kakashi's dark counterpart, and it takes him a moment to realize why that bothers him.

If she is the light fae and he the dark one, it is pretty obvious who the Capitol should be rooting for.

He tries to swallow away his nausea.

They're led out of the hall. Just ahead, two children dressed as what Kakashi can best describe as _grass hoppers_ pass through a door.

They're Tributes too, then. Potentially his future murderers.

A small, shaking hand grabs his. It takes him a moment to realize it's Rin.

They pass through the door together and enter a huge hangar. Rin lets go of his hand after squeezing it once. In the hangar, the other Tributes are already waiting. Kakashi has seen the Reaping videos, but it's different to see the kids who are going to try and murder him in the flesh. Some of them are much smaller than he expected, others are taller.

The Chariots are there as well- elegant, black wagons that look smaller in real life than they did on holo-vision. The horses, on the other hand, are much bigger than Kakashi had expected, their black coats shining in the overhead lights as they snort and toss their heads impatiently. Kakashi hopes they will not have to get too close to the huge animals, but a part of him wants to reach out and see whether they're anything like the stray dogs of Konoha district.

The Victors-turned-mentors are present too. Kakashi sees an auburn-haired girl not much older than him and recognizes her as last year's Victor from Mist. Terumi something, he thinks. She won by pushing her final opponent into the stream of lava that curved through her Games' Arena. Her Tributes are a tall, tan boy with vicious looking teeth, and a small girl with long dark hair flowing down her back.

Minato smiles nervously when he beckons them towards the last chariot. He puts his hands in his sides and looks them up and down. "Well. Fairies?"

Kakashi snorts. Rin gives Minato a little curtsey.

"Last year, they went for goblins, whatever they thought those were supposed to be. It was an... _interesting_ look," Minato shudders. "Now. Are you two ready?"

"Do we have a choice?" Kakashi says.

Rin gives him a look. "I think we should make it look like we do," she says.

She has a point, probably. She has a habit of being right, but for some reason it doesn't work on his nerves as much as it should.

Someone shouts from the chariot next to them. A huge boy with sleek black hair that frames strange green eyes has pushed past his own mentor. He's the Waterfall male Tribute, Kakashi thinks. He must be at least eighteen, and he's large and muscular. The people in Waterfall are lumberjacks as well, but unlike Kakashi this kid actually looks the part. The cheerful bright-blue outfit he's been put in doesn't make him any less intimidating.

He feels Kakashi's eyes on him and looks up briefly, giving Rin and Kakashi an uninterested once-over. He takes his place in the chariot with an air of confidence that suggests he is not impressed by what he sees.

Not that Kakashi can blame him. He's not sure he'd bet on himself, if he had to fight the Waterfall boy. He looks like a madman.

Behind the Waterfall chariot is the one belonging to Kumo, or Cloud, one of the bigger districts. They produce electricity, though Kakashi isn't sure how they do it. Watermills, or something. Their Tributes are a slight blond boy and a dark-skinned but pale haired girl who eyes everyone nervously. She's dressed in a beautiful sleek silver dress that shimmers when she moves.

The source of the noise comes from the Sound chariot. Sound is a new District set up on behest of one of the current Game-makers, a man named Orochimaru. The population was drawn up from all the other Districts, taking the troublemakers and putting them all into one place. What exactly their job is, Kakashi doesn't know for sure. Maybe they're secretly a prison District. That's certainly what the grapevine believes.

The trouble-maker is a red-haired girl in a bandana, gesticulating wildly and yelling at her fellow Tribute, a large, surprisingly chubby boy with equally red hair. Whatever it is they do in Sound, they must eat well.

Kakashi wants to see what they're fighting about, but the staff interferes and urges them all into their Chariots. Kakashi and Rin will be somewhere in the middle of the queue, so they have to wait and stand as the first chariots leave. On top of the Chariot it seems even smaller. It's much lower than he'd expected, too, and once they start moving he has to grab hold of the railing in order not to fall off.

Rin puts her hand over his when they leave the Hangar. She's shaking a little.

When the doors open, a wall of noise meets them first. There's music- drums, Kakashi thinks, though it's hard to tell through the pounding of his heart- and above all, people screaming and shouting from the massive stands that have been erected on either side of the boulevard they travel down.

There are huge screens again, like there had been at the Reaping, showing his and Rin's faces as they come out of the hangar. They look like they've stepped out of a dark fairytale. Rin, with her flowing light robes and cherubic face looks almost ethereal.

Haruno Kizashi was right- the make-up _does_ look better from a distance. Kakashi's expression makes him look like his IQ is about fifty points below what it actually is, though, so he tries to channel his anger and create what he hopes is a stronger look.

The roar of the audience seems to pick up, though it might just be his imagination. His heart is pounding to the beat of the drum. He decides to keep his eyes trained on a point ahead of him, and that makes it easier to keep his face as stern as he wants it to be.

He's not sure what Rin is doing, but then she's suddenly trailing her free hand outside of the chariot, letting it run through the air as though they're riding through a field of tall grass. Kakashi forgets his composure for a moment to take in her serene expression.

The crowd loves it- the cameras, which had started to focus on the Chariot behind them, turn back to them. Kakashi, afraid that she will fall, turns the hand she's still clutching over so he can thread his fingers through hers. If she falls, he can draw her back.

For a moment, he catches sight of the two of them on the Chariot. Rin, serene and beautiful, and himself, dark and fierce.

He squeezes Rin's fingers tighter, and promises himself to do his best to keep her safe.

* * *

 **AN: Most of the Tributes mentioned in this chapter are drawn from canon. Can you guess who they are? I did shift some of their ages a little...**

 **As for the whole 'Minato as a playboy' thing, I assure you this is not a reputation Minato wants to have. It's just that the Capitol can make people do many things they don't want, so long as they have the right leverage...**

 **Updates will be a bit slower from now on.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4.**

* * *

 **Here, have a long-ass chapter. Fun little fact. I uploaded this last night on AO3 and thought I had uploaded it here as well, leading me to frantically wonder why no one was reading it. Well...**

 **To answer a much-asked question, yes, all of team 7 are currently alive (they're about two years old). At least one of them will play a bigger role later. Make of that what you will.**

 **Also, I realize my readership is not as aware of the Hunger Games as I'd thought, so I'll throw in some exposition here and there.**

* * *

They spend the night in the most luxurious place Kakashi has ever seen. It resembles a tower of sorts, but it's impossibly high and made almost entirely of glass. It's called the training center, but aside from just containing a training area, it also contains luxurious apartments for the tributes. Leaf district is assigned to one of the topmost floors, which Kakashi can appreciate. The view is amazing from his bedroom window.

He lies awake at night staring at the ceiling lights. When he squints, they resemble the stars he is used to seeing overhead. That's where the resemblance ends: when he claps his hands, these lights are doused. He can even adjust the colour, if he wants to. It's ridiculously decadent, but he thinks he would have loved it as a child.

The meals are every bit as fatty and rich in taste as they had been on the train. Kakashi is beginning to appreciate it, and he's quite sure he eats more with every meal. Maybe it'll trigger a spontaneous growth spurt: if he were a foot taller he might actually stand a chance against the likes of the Waterfall boy.

In contrast, Rin only nibbles at her food. She is pale and doesn't look at all like the powerful, mysterious figure he'd seen on the chariot yesterday. Kushina seems to notice as well, and after breakfast she takes the other girl back to her room with the excuse of helping her with her hair. When they come back, Rin's hair is tied back with the sides braided, and she has regained some of her colour.

Kushina, Kakashi thinks, is far more... _more_ than he had expected

After breakfast, Sarutobi and Minato are quietly discussing amongst themselves. After a while, they go over to where Kakashi and Rin are playing a silly card game.

"We're about to head off to your training. Try and get a good look at your opponents. If you do have skill at something, try not to show it off- but make sure you don't appear incompetent either. If you think there's anyone in that group who might ally with you, try to remember their name and District. If we approach their Mentors, we might be able to strike a deal," Sarutobi says gravely.

From up close, Kakashi can see the resemblance to Asuma, Sarutobi's son, more easily than before. Asuma is a year older than Kakashi, which means he can still be reaped. He wonders what it would be like for Sarutobi if that were to happen. Or what it would be like if his own mother had won her games. If she had been his Mentor now.

He shakes off the thought and considers Sarutobi's advice. Stand out, but not too much. _Right_. That's about as useless as saying 'don't die'.

"Why would we ally with people whose survival depends on our deaths?" he drawls.

Sarutobi's expression grows grave. Minato's mouth opens and closes without making a sound. "Kakashi, you have to remember that most of the other Tributes are just like you and Rin. They don't want to fight, or kill. Together you might be stronger," the younger man finally says.

"So we shouldn't ally with the Careers? The guys who train for the Games, I mean," Kakashi crosses his arms across his chest. He feels faintly guilty: the conversation is only turning Rin pale again. And no wonder. Careers are Tributes who train for years for the games and then, madly, actually volunteer for them. They probably figure that if they can train, they can win, and if they can win, they can have money and relative freedom. It's a hell of a mad gamble.

Worst part is that they're usually right. Careers win 80% of the time.

The Mentors exchange looks. "That would be preferable. Careers shouldn't be trusted."

Rin stares at her lap. Her hands have tightened into fists. "Then who can we trust? How can we tell the difference between someone trustworthy and someone who will... who will betray us?" She asks quietly.

Minato opens his mouth, only to close it again. "I suppose... You'll have to use your best judgment. Be suspicious. Try to estimate what the person you're looking at. We'll try to help you, but you'll have to do most of the work yourself," he finally says.

Rin looks down at her cards. She is still pale, but when she looks up she is wearing a more determined expression. She gathers her cards and stacks them neatly on the table. "So, we have to decide for ourselves."

"Yes."

"Then I say Kakashi and I work together. We don't think about anyone else, for now. We don't look at anyone else. We figure out what we are good at, and focus on that," Rin says, unexpectedly fierce.

Kakashi stares at her. It's funny. He's always taken her to be a gentle, almost shy person, but she's neither of those things. She's kind, yes, but she is also tough. A true child of the district. And like him, she's not going down without a fight.

He sighs. "I agree with Rin," he says.

"Are you sure? More allies mean-" Sarutobi begins, but Kakashi cuts him off.

"Having more allies means more opportunity for betrayal. It's like that every year. They group together, and then they slaughter each other at the end. And besides, if it's just the two of us, it'll be much easier to keep a low profile," Kakashi shrugs, and nods at Rin. Like him, she's a thinker. It would have been nice if she had been really brawny, or big, to cancel out his smallness and scrawny arms. But two brains aren't so bad either.

She smiles at him. Across the table, Kushina fails to hide a little smile of her own. It doesn't last long, though. They're still talking about the games, after all.

Cooperation or not, one of them is still going to die. And as much as Kakashi wants to, he can't quite bring himself not to care about Rin.

* * *

Training begins early the next day, after another bountiful, but slightly more nutritious meal. They are put in sleek black outfits, made of some kind of strange flexible material Kakashi has never seen before. It feels light on his skin, like he's dressed in moonlight. The symbol of his district is on his shoulder, and there's a name tag on his collarbone.

Minato is visibly nervous when he escorts them to the training area. The training area is a big, colorless room, all of it in the same sleek style the capital seems to love so much. Kakashi and Rin are the first to arrive, which is good-they can use the opportunity to scout before anyone else does.

There are racks upon racks of weapons, holding blades and spears and throwing knives, and then an impressive array of sharp and pointy things Kakashi doesn't recognize. Minato wants to stay with them, and begins explaining the purpose of one particularly nasty looking blade when he is escorted out by one of the peacekeepers.

Rin tugs on his sleeve, pulling him in the other direction. She's looking at a series of training stations, each manned by people from the capital. They look a little different from most capital socialites-more natural, somehow, dressed in earthy tones and wearing relaxed smiles.

Their stations do not bear weapons-they bear nets and baskets and rope, plants and pictures of animals. These stations are therefore different purpose, Kakashi surmises. Information gathering. How do you create a basket out of nothing? How do you weave rope? How do you avoid poisoning yourself?

He's not surprised Rin would choose to go to the stations, rather than the weapons racks, but when she begins to pull him towards the basket weaving, he pulls back and directs them both towards the plants station. She frowns a little, but then relaxes. He hopes she has caught on.

The Capitol is efficient. Would it give out information to its tributes about plants they will not encounter? He wouldn't put it past them, but it is still worth looking at what types of plants they are offering information on. Sometimes, the arena is covered in poisonous plants . It's useful to know which ones might be edible, or if they contain water. If the plants mentioned in the station are all plants that occur in a certain type of natural terrain, perhaps he can make some assumptions about the arena…

They've only spent a few moments looking at the plants (the information consists of pictures, names, and the classifications 'poisonous' or 'edible'), when the doors open and the next pair of tributes enter. They're the pair from lightning, the blond boy and a dark skinned girl who had worn the silver dress on the chariots.

For a moment it's just the four of them, slowly sizing each other up. The boy's a little younger than he is, the girl is probably about the same age. Neither of them are big, but if you ask Kakashi that usually just means they're used to being underestimated. They wear name tags. It says their names are C and Mabui.

Sometimes, in the cloud district, peacekeepers name the orphans. And because they don't see them as people, there are now kids walking around with letters for names. Kakashi wishes this could still surprise him.

Rin grab for his hand again. Somehow, it breaks the tension; the boy smiles a little at seeing it, and visibly relaxes. "Err. Hi."

Rin lets go again. "Hi."

Kakashi puts his hands in his pockets. Lightly pushes his shoulder against Rin. They're not here to make friends. Hell, they'll only make it harder on themselves if they do. It doesn't matter that these kids might be nice.

The moment is broken when the team from sand comes in. It's not hard to guess why Careers are so successful when looking at these two. The boy is well-built, eighteen, and fully grown, with tan skin from spending many hours in the sun honing their skill. The Sand district makes glass, amongst other things. Kakashi isn't sure how that can be weaponized, but the look on the boy's face suggests he has found a way.

Maybe Kakashi is just being paranoid, but he decides to remember the boy's name, just to be sure. _Baki_.

The girl is smaller, yes, and her hair is still dyed in ridiculous colors from the chariot parade, but despite this there is a fierceness in her eyes that sets Kakashi's alarms ringing. Her name is Pakura, according to the tag.

More people file in slowly but surely. Some of them are big, like the boys from waterfall (Kakuzu) and mist (Zabuza, who looks even crazier because of his filed teeth. They are actually _serrated)_. Some of the others aren't big, but seem vicious (the boy from Iwa, Kakkou, and both the sound kids). And then there is a whole bunch of normal looking kids. Skinny, underfed district kids, like Shi and Mabui. Cannon fodder, Kakashi can't help but think.

It's always the same. Every game he's seen, it's the little district kids that bite it first. In the middle of the arena, there is the cornucopia, a shelter containing equipment and food. Theoretically, it contains everything you might need to survive. Practically, it's where an average of a dozen tributes get slaughtered five minutes into the games as they tried to obtain equipment. It's awful. The little kids usually go first. The careers don't show any mercy. Sometimes, Kakashi thinks perhaps they have already practiced murdering people back home, killing animals or something.

The starting positions of the tributes are placed in a circle around the cornucopia. You come up from a tube underground, and face the one place that holds the key to your survival. But if you have half a brain at all, you know not to go there. Not in a million years. Dad said that mom hadn't even considered it. That she turned and ran right away, into the forest, before anyone else could respond. She'd never been a fool.

But if some of these kids have lazy mentors, or if they decide to follow their own plan, chances are they'll get killed at the cornucopia. The little ones are easy prey. Kakashi is uncomfortably aware that he could, potentially, count as a little one. Rin certainly could.

The tributes slowly spread out over the training room. They all eye each other warily. The easy acquaintance between Kakashi, Rin, and the cloud kids dissipates in the face of the open hostility of some of the other tributes. Others just seemed scared, and quickly scuttle off to the corners of the room, where they observe the bigger kids from a safe distance.

The career kids from Mist and Sand make their way to the weaponry, of course, taking out their old favorites and moving to the practice area. The boy with the serrated teeth, Zabuza, catches his eye and glares. Kakashi knows he should probably look away, but for some reason he holds the boy's gaze. He's not going to show weakness. Not now, not ever.

Still, Zabuza eventually moves on and start swiping a rather massive blade through the air. The muscles of his back ripple impressively. Now it's Kakashi's turn to look away. All he can do is mud wrestling. _Right_. Good luck with that.

He looks over to Rin, who has joined the kids from cloud at the basket weaving station. The instructor is talking to them, enthusiastically demonstrating his skill.

Kakashi wanders over to the weaponry instead, curious despite himself. The racks themselves are simple metal, filled with all sorts of nasty sharp things. He recognizes some from the history books at school; Spears and halbards, swords and daggers, even bows and throwing knives.

The instructor smiles at him. "Want to try something out?" He asks. He's tall and strong, not at all what Kakashi would imagine a Capitol man to look like. The man takes out a knife, and slashes the air with it, his body swift and flexible.

The man grins at Kakashi's expression, and then him towards the same maneuver at a slower pace. Kakashi observes him with narrow eyes, trying to analyze the moves. From what he can tell, speed and agility are important. Range is too, but he suspects he might be able to compensate with speed.

"Pick a blade," the instructor says. "Don't go for something big just because it looks deadly. A heavy weapon is not going to do you any good if you can't lift it up," he finishes, giving Kakashi slight built a meaningful look.

Kakashi snorts and tries not to take it too personally. So he's skinny.

He looks back at the weapons rack, and feels a natural pull towards one of the blades. It's about as long as his lower arm, elbow to wrist, with a slightly curved tip and a groove running down its length. He lifts it off the rack, testing the feel of it in his hand. Its weight is perfect, not too heavy or too light. He makes a few experimental swipes and finds that it is as fast as he imagined it to be.

He turns towards a nearby practice dummy and tries out a few quick maneuvers, combining some of the patterns the instructor had shown him into a quick flurry of movement. The long blade leaves deep gouges in the dummy and, more terrifyingly, went almost straight through the dummy's arm.

Kakashi stares for a moment, then puts the blade back on the rack and hopes no one saw. The other Tributes all seem busy, but the knife instructor has seen his activity. He watches Kakashi with a smirk.

"That's a traditional _Tanto_ ," he says, "a double-edged one. Did you ever handle one before?"

Kakashi shakes his head as he commits the blade's name to memory.

"Well, I hope for your sake there'll be one in the Arena." The instructor shrugs. "You're a quick learner. I think you might benefit from some one-on-one training."

Kakashi eyes him warily. That could be a good idea, except 'one-on-one' probably means 'right here, where everyone can see you'. No, he'd rather have the attributes think he was an easy target. It might give him the element of surprise. Of course, it might also mean all the attributes would chase after him because they think he is weak. Choices, choices.

He decides to ask Minato once they get back to the apartment. Minato used blades as well, in his games. He might be able to teach Kakashi himself, within the privacy of their apartment. Kushina might not appreciate knives in the close proximity of priceless furniture, but he has a feeling she would understand. She isn't really like the other Capitol people, anyway. He feels a little naïve for thinking it, but it seems as though she cares, actually cares. That's something of a rarity, here.

They spent the rest of the afternoon in the training area. Kakashi ends up joining Rin, and together they pass all the information stations, trying to absorb as much knowledge as they can. They return to the apartment a little bit early. Sarutobi isn't around, but Minato and Kushina are. They're sitting on the couch together, their thighs almost touching. Kushina gets up quickly when the kids enter, smoothing down her dress in a slightly nervous manner.

"So, how did it go?" She asks.

Rin and Kakashi exchange looks. Kakashi shrugs.

Rin smiles faintly. "Do you have some paper, perhaps? And a pencil?" She walks over to the nearest cupboard and starts rummaging through the drawers. Unsurprisingly, they're all empty. Even the furniture is just for show, here.

According to Kushina, paper and pencil are quite outdated in the Capitol. They do have these strange, book sized panels that remind Kakashi of the holo-screens. You can control them by touching the screens with your fingers, and apparently they're quite suitable for writing texts on.

Rin takes it eagerly, and after a moment's practice she begins to write fervently. Kushina and Minato exchange looks as she types. Then, Rin slides the tablet over to Kakashi.

"Could you fill in the gaps, Kakashi?" Rin says. "Then we can study what we've learned."

Kakashi blinks. He looks down at the tablet. Rin has made a list. It's just about everything they've learned today, ranging from poisonous plants, food and water sources, to a basic basket weaving technique that she practiced earlier. He looks up from the tablet to stare at her. "You memorized it all?"

Rin's cheeks color. "Well, I tried. That's why I was thinking... Perhaps you could fill in the blanks. Or what you remember, anyway. Then we can memorize it. We don't know if their stations will still be there tomorrow, when they go to training again. We can keep a log."

Minato smiles triumphantly. Kakashi just stares at Rin, then smiles. For once, it feels genuine. He nods and reads through the list slowly, clumsily typing in info she hasn't yet mentioned. Truth be told, her list seems pretty all-encompassing. There isn't really all that much for him to add. The more he gets to know her, the more he regrets that they never really talked back in class.

Minato and Kushina turn away from the table again. They stand by the window and talk to each other softly, too far away for Kakashi to overhear. He figures that goes both ways, so he looks up slowly, feeling uncharacteristically shy all of a sudden. "Hey... Were we always in the same class, or...?" He asks Rin.

For some reason, Rin turns red again. "Yes. Right from the start. I suppose we just never really talked."

Kakashi tries to remember whether he has met her family, and what their attitude towards his father was. That's usually a pretty good indicator of whether a kid will play with him or not. Given how kind Rin is, he finds it hard to believe her family would be any different. Then again, even kind people would have a hard time forgiving the deaths of three people. Most people in the district don't really believe that it was an accident, after all, but Kakashi has never quite been able to find out _why_ they think that way.

"I wanted to," Rin suddenly blurts out, "but you were always so busy, and I thought-" she looks back at the tablet to inspect his additions to the list. Unfortunately for her, it's too obvious a distraction. Whatever she was about to say, she obviously felt too awkward to share it.

Then again, he's not really sure how to reply to her remark so he lets it go. It's not as though he's a star at emotional conversation. Hell, he'll take any opportunity to avoid it. Busy, though? If by that she meant looking after his dad and avoiding all human contact, then sure. Okay, maybe that _did_ make him look busy. He just never thought of it that way.

They spent some more time reading through the lists, quietly discussing strategies. Minato joins them at the table, and every now and then he pipes up to give them new information or advice. Just as Kakashi wants to ask him about knife fighting practice, Sarutobi returns to the apartment. He looks harried and stressed, and even older than before. He runs a hand through his thinning hair and sits down on the nearest chair. Kushina quickly passes him a glass of water, from which she gratefully drinks.

"Well, Cloud's tributes want an alliance, but their mentors don't. I swear, those two brothers... They are stubborn as mules," Sarutobi sighs. "I think I might be able to convince Bee, but there's no talking to A. He wants to ally his kids with bigger tributes."

He looks up, and seems surprised to see Kakashi and Rin still sitting there. Kakashi raises a skeptical eyebrow.

"Oh, I didn't think-isn't it bedtime for you two?" Sarutobi says.

"There's no harm in their staying up a little bit longer," Minato says, "they've compiled a list of information from the training room, haven't you, kids?" He smiles again, that warm, happy smile that makes you feel comforted, despite your best intentions to be a surly, moody teenager.

Sarutobi finally relaxes, and gives them a warm smile as well. "That's good, very good. I'm glad to hear it. As you can tell, I've been talking to the other mentors to try and see whether any of their tributes one ally with you. It's an ongoing process, obviously."

"Will we be in training all week?" Rin asks.

"No," Minato says hesitantly, "Three days. And after that, you will have an evaluation by the game makers."

 _Right._ Kakashi had almost forgotten about that. At the end of the training, all tributes undergo a test of their skills in which they show the game makers their skills. They receive a score on the basis of their performance, on a scale of 1 to 12, one being the lowest and twelve being impossibly high. A high score may attract sponsors, but it may also attract unwanted attention from careers want to take out their rivals. A low score equals an early death.

Kakashi wonders what kind of score would be good. Having a higher score would be nice and all, but you also have to be able to back it up, because the careers will definitely chase you for it . Quite frankly, appearing average won't be all that hard. Even if Kakashi does his best, he doesn't think he'll get a very high score at all.

"And after that we will have to discuss a strategy for your interviews," Kushina says, joining them at the table.

Kakashi stomach does something funny. An _interview_. Of course.

"It will all be televised of course, so you'll have to do your best to be likable. It's all about marketing, in a way. As awful as it is, you'll have to sell yourself," Kushina practically growls, crossing her arms. Her eyebrows tick.

Minato looks startled and reaches across the table to grab her hand. "Kushina, hush! Not here-"

Kushina huffs angrily. "I know," she says quietly. Then, in a louder voice, she orders the children to go to bed. "It's high time. You'll need to be rested tomorrow."

Kakashi and Rin exchange a look. It's quite late, yes, but it seems to Kakashi, that they would be much better off strategizing and learning as much as they can. They only a three days of training, after all, and then another two or three days of publicity, and that's it. Then the games start.

He also wonders at Minato's quick response to Kushina's anger. It makes sense for place to be bugged. He wants to ask Minato, but of course if it is bugged, he can't. Either way, Kushina is clearly not allowed to speak her mind on the matter. Kakashi wonders what would happen if she was caught doing so.

If she did feel negative towards the games, though, that would certainly explain her behavior so far. The regrets she'd expressed when she reaped them, the kindness she was showing them now... Those weren't the acts of cold-blooded Capitol socialite. That, and Minato likes her. That has to be good for something.

"Before we go to sleep, Minato, you used a knife in your games, right?" Kakashi wagered, deciding to try and solve one conundrum at a time. "I'd like to learn how to use one."

Sarutobi gets up and says hands together, somehow immediately commanding the attention of everyone present despite his slight figure and plain looks. "That's certainly a good idea, but Kushina is right. You two need to sleep first. Kakashi, I would recommend you stick to knife training in the training area for now. We're not technically allowed to hand to weaponry outside of the area."

He smiles a little enigmatic smile, walks over to the table and picks up a bread knife left over from dinner. He spins it around in his fingers with unexpected dexterity. As he slashes it through the air a few times, he puts a fingers to his lips, still smiling.

Rin grins, and Kakashi can't resist a smile of his own. So they are going to train, but they are going to have to do it silently. That suggests the capitol can listen in on their conversations, but they can't actually _see_ them. Good.

Sarutobi places the knife back on the table and returns to being a harmless looking older man. How did he win his games, anyway? A knife? A spear? Dumb luck? Or, how did they put it, 'kill them with kindness'?

Well. Probably not that. Kakashi would have to ask Asuma someday.

It's not until he puts his tooth brush in his mouth, a few minutes later, that he realizes he may never see Asuma again. With that sobering thought in mind, he goes to bed. He dreams of Sarutobi and Minato, as they are today, fighting off the tribute that killed Kakashi's mom.

* * *

As promised, the next three days are filled with training. Climbing, wrestling, making rope, building up muscle, and using tools, every day all day, until Kakashi feels like he could fall apart at the seams. His muscles ache every day, but he can't go to bed soon as he comes back to the apartment; there, Minato and Sarutobi steal away their last free minutes to teach him and Rin knife fighting techniques, as well as close combat.

When they eat, Kushina sits with them to discuss ridiculous Capitol manners, such as how to hold your cutlery or keep a conversation going. She even tells them about Capitol culture, that weird institute where people hardly have to work and are so bored with life that they focus instead on whatever ridiculous new fad someone has come up with this time. Apparently, at the moment, it's dyeing one's hair all sorts of crazy colors. Well, that certainly explained Haruno Kizashi and his toddler. Though how on earth one would go about dyeing a toddler's hair, Kakashi doesn't know.

If there is one good thing to say about the rigorous regiment they are put through, it's that it doesn't give them a lot of time to think about home, or about the weeks to come. It also means that time flies, and the day of the evaluation arrives before Kakashi knows it.

The evaluation is pretty simple. Each individual tribute will enter the training room and show off their skills to the best of their ability. They will be watched and judged by the game maker himself, Orochimaru, and a number of his technicians.

Kakashi has heard things about Orochimaru before, and none of it is good.

The tributes all sit in a waiting room, eyeing each other nervously as one by one they are called into the room. Even the careers seem on edge. They probably want high scores to intimidate the other tributes. Kakashi isn't really sure what he wants to do. Is showing them the best he's got really the way to go? Wouldn't that also kind of highlight his weaknesses? Because what if the skills he's gained in these past few days are not enough? There's a pretty good chance of that happening. So, what if the best he can do will only get him his six, or a seven?

Perhaps, Kakashi thinks, it would be better to go for a calculated score. To go for something so utterly average that he will not stand out to anyone. Not weak enough to be obvious prey, and not strong enough to warrant people wanting to be better than him.

He glances at Rin. They haven't discussed a strategy. Perhaps it's better that way. He wonders what she's planning.

They wait for what feels like ours before Rin is called in. She gives him a nervous smile and then goes into the room. Kakashi counts the minutes. Exactly twenty minutes pass by before the door opens again and he is called in.

He gets up slowly, his heart in his throat. Average. Go for the average. Don't stand out. Sponsors can still be gained in the interview, anyway. Well, if he manages to be a proper human being for once.

The room he enters is reminiscent of the training center, but smaller. There are a few training dummies scattered throughout the room, as well as another rack filled with weapons and a station containing tools. To his surprise, Kakashi can hear people talking behind him. He turns around to find a balcony above the door, where Capitol people dressed in their finery and served drinks and snacks by their servants, sit and watch him with bored expressions.

At their center sits Orochimaru, the gamemaker, the man who designs and controls the arena where the games will take place. In only a week's time, all the tributes' lives will be affected by this man's sadism. How many foul beasts will his arena contain? What sort of deadly terrain has he picked? And how many tributes will die because of him?

Kakashi has only seen Orochimaru on the holo-screen so far. The screen doesn't really do the man justice. Orochimaru is one of those Capitol people who has undergone severe physical augmentation. His features are strangely ageless, although Kakashi knows he must be in his fifties by now. His skin is pasty white, his face framed with long, sleek hair that is so dark it only makes him look paler. His eyes, however, are what really draw the attention. They are a snakelike yellow, the pupils slit like those of a cat. Dramatic makeup on his eyelids draws even more attention to the unnatural eyes.

Orochimaru notices him looking, looks right back, and gives him an unnerving smile.

Minato didn't warn Kakashi about this man, but he has a feeling that Minato should have. Just making eye contact with the man is enough to send shivers of discomfort down his spine, like some primal terror. Like being face-to-face with a forest viper, of the sort that strikes fear into the hearts of Konoha lumberjacks , and having no means of escaping its bite.

Orochimaru nods at him. "You may begin," he says. Even his voice is reminiscent of the snake, low and sibilant.

Kakashi takes a deep breath, trying not to show just how unnerved he is. Something in those yellow eyes suggests Orochimaru knows it anyway, and rather enjoys the fear he inspires.

Kakashi turns around. He can still feel those eyes drilling in his back, taking in his form and thinking God knows what. Orochimaru screams of danger, and has completely thrown Kakashi off his game. If this strategy had actually been to do his best, it probably would've failed.

So instead, he picks up three throwing knives from the rack and throws them at the dummy. Two hit the dummy with dull thuds, the third sails past the target and hits the wall with a crack. Kakashi breathes in slowly.

He takes another knife from the rack, the longer slightly curved one he had practiced with in the training area, and attacks the dummy with it. He goes at full speed, but he uses none of the technique or finesse Minato has drilled into him the past few days.

He finishes when he has made few neat slashes in the dummy, and moves on to the station. He picks up a few objects and explains their use with as little detail as he can manage. Now with his face towards the balcony again, he can see that Orochimaru is still smiling.

Kakashi is relieved to see his allotted time is nearly over. He shrugs awkwardly at his audience, and ridiculously, wonders if he should bow. Gone are the thoughts of resistance and rebellion. How humiliating. One intimidating figure and he's done for. What a Tribute he'll make.

He turns towards the door at the end of the room, the exit. One of the servants opens it for him, but before he can enter through, Orochimaru's low, hissing voice stops him.

"Say... Aren't you Hanano Kinue's boy? Or... I suppose I should say _Hatake_ Kinue," Orochimaru says.

Kakashi freezes. "... Yes. I am."

Orochimaru chuckles. "Interesting. _Very_ interesting."

The peacekeeper who has to escort Kakashi out waits for Orochimaru to say more, but he doesn't. So instead, Kakashi is guided out of the room and into Kushina's waiting arms. She seems pale and anxious, but smiles when she sees him. Much to Kakashi surprise, she even puts her hands on his shoulders as she asked them how it went. He doesn't have much of a reply for her, though. He wants to ask her more about the game maker, but he has a feeling this is not the place for those sorts of questions. So instead, they go back to the apartment.

The others are already there. Rin's eyes are little red like she's been crying, but she hasn't lost that fire in her eyes. "I could show them all about the workstation," she said, "but I messed up with the knives. I thought it would go better, but I got nervous."

"Did he keep staring at you, too?" Kakashi asks.

Rin gives him a quizzical look. "Who?"

That in itself unnerves Kakashi. Did she really not feel those eyes drilling into her back? Or... That comment about his mother. Could it be...?

No. Kakashi chides himself for being paranoid, before suddenly remembering that these are the hunger games. A little bit of paranoia might just save his life. Whatever Orochimaru's deal, Kakashi has to be careful around him.

There isn't much to do other than sit and wait for the next few hours. The grades the tributes receive will not be broadcast until tonight, so all of the capitol can watch and bet on their favorites. Thus, Kakashi and Rin spend the rest of their day honing their skills with their mentors. Kushina tries a few times to interject lessons of our own, mostly by trying to talk loud enough that they might hear her over their intense focus, but gives up after a while.

At dinner, neither of the tributes eat much. Even Kushina, who is usually bright and loud, is silent.

After dinner, they all move to the couch and turn on the holo-screen. Kushina promptly plops down between Kakashi and Rin and wraps an arm around each of them. Kakashi wants to protest, but her warm presence is actually kind of nice. He would rather have his father at his side, but Kushina is kind and comforting and good. He sees that now, although how someone like her ended up getting so involved in the games is an enigma he has not yet solved.

Minato and Sarutobi sit on either side of them, exchanging nervous looks.

Then, the program begins. They have made montages of each tribute, showing their chariot rides (Kakashi had been right, the grass tributes really had been dressed as _grasshoppers!),_ and shots from the training is startled to see a shot of himself working away at the dummy, using some of his better moves. He'd had no idea they were filming at all. Judging by Minato's expression, the shot startles him as well.

Then, grades start rolling out. The scale runs from 1 to 12, with twelve being the highest and impossible to reach. No one has scored a twelve, ever. The careers usually score around 8-10. Those are the scores to watch out for. The average kids get around 5-7. That's what Kakashi is aiming for him, so as not to stand out in any sort of way.

They start with the careers. Zabuza, the boy with the serrated teeth, scores an impressive nine. His partner, surprisingly for a tribute from a career district, only scores a six. Then, sand is graded. Baki gets an 8, the girl Pakura an intimidating nine.

The kids from Iwa both score sevens, and so do the kids from Sound. The kids from rain and grass are not so fortunate, scoring no higher than five.

Then the kids from lightning appear on the screen. The girl, Mabui, scores a four, only one point higher than the twelve-year-old from grass. Shi does a little better, getting a six.

Kakashi wonders when it will be their turn. It would be just like the capitol to always place the Leaf district last just to annoy Kakashi. Or, more likely, because the ancestors of district Konoha's inhabitants had been amongst the fiercest of rebels. But hey, the 'annoy-Kakashi'' theory seems _just_ as likely.

Another one of the smaller districts is graded very badly, and then its waterfall's turn. The girl, small as she is, only scores a two. Then it's the boy's turn. The commentator suddenly gets very excited, and seconds later, Kakashi understands why. Kakuzu has scored an _eleven_.

"That's... That's insane," Minato breathes. He's leaning forward with wide eyes, as if he can't believe what he's seeing. Kushina's grip on Kakashi's shoulders tightens. Rin seems even smaller all of a sudden.

There isn't any time to process Kakuzu's insane score. The district symbol on the screen turns into Konoha's, and a moment later Rin's face, almost angelic with the flower wreath and fairy makeup, appears on screen. Then, a big seven appears next to it.

Rin gasps. Kushina cheers loudly. "That's my girl! Well done!" She shouts.

Rin flushes from the praise, but smiles widely when Sarutobi pets her on the head.

Kakashi smiles at her as well. How on earth had she managed that?

The screen shifts again and then he suddenly sees himself, looking hollow eyed into the camera. His name appears, and then a grade. _Nine._

"... What." Somehow, that's all he manages to say. His performance didn't warrant a nine. Not in a million years. Not even if he'd thrown his knives while cart wheeling- okay, that might've done the trick, but what he had actually done? Halfheartedly throwing a few knives at a dummy and reciting a few incorrect facts?

He is once again reminded of those unnerving yellow eyes, and that creepy smile. Kakashi doesn't know why, but he has a feeling Orochimaru had a lot to do with his score.

xXx

 **AN:  
Thanks for reading! Please do this old author a favor and leave a comment so she does not starve to death, and can keep on writing for you.**

 **Next chapter: Kakashi and Rin are interviewed, and two very familiar faces make an appearance...**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5.**

* * *

 **AN: Again, this story is not going to bash any of the characters. If one of the characters is in a position where you would not expect them to be, please trust that I will treat them respectfully, and that their positioning will make sense in the end. There's just a whole bunch of secret surrounding Kushina and Jiraiya in particular that you will have to discover as the story continues.**

* * *

Kakashi stares at the screen. A nine, really? And then that waterfall boy gets an _eleven_? "So... Are the scores always this crazy?" He says, slowly.

Kushina is holding him tight enough to bruise. She turns to him, looking like she's not sure whether to scream gleefully or burst into tears. In the end, she settles for pulling Kakashi and Rin into a tight hug.

"You guys both did so well," she says, as Kakashi tries to escape her hold. Just as he escapes her grip, Minato's hand lands in his hair and gives it a ruffle. No escape there, either.

Minato's smile is just a little bit forced. "I fought we agreed on 'average'," he says.

Kakashi shrugs. "I guess I'm not a very average guy," he says uneasily. "Although I'm pretty sure my 'performance' wasn't really all that good. _Pretty_ sure I should've gotten a six. At best. I even missed a target to be sure."

The room goes quiet for a moment. Sarutobi grabs the tablet and jot something down. He turns around and shows Kakashi. It reads, _room is bugged. No anti-capitol remarks .Was Orochimaru there? Just nod or shake your head._

Kakashi slowly nods. "I guess I just got lucky," he says, taking the tablet from Sarutobi and writing, with slow and clumsy hands, _he mentioned my mother_. _Why_?

Rin eyes the exchange with large eyes. "Maybe you just underestimated yourself," she says, but her expression is suspicious.

Sarutobi reads the message and is quiet for a moment. Finally, he writes _, You're a legacy tribute. One of your parents was reaped as well. It's extraordinarily rare for a tribute who did not win to have a child also participate, but sometimes a child of a Victor is reaped. They tend to... Draw attention. People might remember their parents._

"So, what? I got a higher grade because people might remember watching my mom die?" Kakashi says before he can stop himself.

Rin gasps. Sarutobi closes his eyes slowly. He looks tired.

Minato puts a hand on Kakashi shoulder. "I'm sorry, but it will likely come up in your interviews well. They might decide to show... images... of your mother."

Kakashi feels a little nauseous. He's never seen his mother. And then there's the capitol, which keeps tapes of her last few hours on earth for entertainment, and then gleefully watches as her son is put in the same position. A higher score means a larger portion of the audience will find him interesting. Combine that with the legacy thing, and well...

Everything is for the ratings. Viewing numbers. He wants to punch something. Or someone. Either way works.

"I didn't know about your mother," Rin says softly. "I'm so sorry, that's awful."

Kakashi shrugs. He feels awkward. Everyone is looking at him.

"I remember her," Sarutobi says, unexpectedly. "That was the year Tsunade helped me mentor. She knew your mother better than I did, I'm afraid."

Kakashi has to dodge another one of Kushina's attempts to hug him before they finally drop the subject. He's glad that they do; he doesn't really want to know about all these old people who knew his mother better than he ever did. He certainly doesn't want to be the center of attention any longer than he has to be.

Fortunately, this is when Kushina starts asking Rin what she did during her evaluation, to which the girl eagerly responds. She seems quietly proud of her score, which just makes Kakashi feel worse about his own. He hasn't actually done anything to deserve it, someone just decided to whore him out for the sake of ratings. Metaphorically speaking, of course.

They end up talking a bit longer, until finally Kushina decides they need to sleep. Somehow, she has taken on the role of team mom over the last few days. It's hard to remember that she's from the capitol, and quite frankly, Kakashi has stopped caring about it altogether. She's not here for the sensation of it all. She's just here to help out scared little kids. For a boy who is usually quite suspicious of just about everyone he meets, it means a lot to Kakashi that he feels he can trust her. He almost wants to chastise himself for it. A pretty smile can hide a lot... But somehow, he thinks he doesn't have to worry about Kushina ever betraying him or Rin.

It's a good feeling. Rin smiles and squeezes his hand again when they say good night. Minato ruffles his hair again, and he pretends to be annoyed by it. Sarutobi gives them fatherly smiles before leaving the apartment to arrange more sponsors.

Kakashi goes to bed feeling quite content, somehow. He didn't expect to find any sort of warmth after the reaping, but somehow he has.

* * *

if Kakashi thought his arrival at the capitol had been a media circus, it was nothing compared to the interviews. Apparently, an entire theater hall has filled up with people eager to see them. That, and the broadcast is live, meaning countless numbers of others will be watching on their holo-screens.

One by one, each of the tributes will be interviewed by the man himself, a raucous, enthusiastic giant of a man by the name of Jiraiya (who had mostly been involved in writing soap operas before suddenly making the switch to presenting the games a few years back, apparently, rather shocking his audience).

Jiraiya is something of an enigma to the people of the district. He's only been doing the games for a few years, but apparently is very popular in the capitol because of it. To the people of the district, however, he's a strange figure; not as cruel in his commentary as his colleagues, and genuinely interested in his tributes during the interviews. He _seems_ likable.

As Jiraiya takes to the stage, Kakashi and Rin are still being 'groomed' by the Haruno's (apparently Haruno Kizashi's female counterparts is his wife, a blonde called Mebuki. According to Rin, the woman is at least as crazy as her husband is). This time, however, there is no bizarre makeup or fairytale costume. Instead, Kakashi is put into a dark suit that seems tailor fit for him (and makes him feel like a child playing dress-up in his father's clothes, no matter Kizashi's reassurances that it made him look good), and Rin is put in a lovely pale yellow dress that reminds him of her fairy look.

They give each other a once over once the Haruno's have let them go, which is somehow even more awkward. Rin blushes a little. Once again, Kakashi finds himself wishing for a scarf, or something else to cover his face with. Screw convention, he hates feeling so open and naked.

Like before, their interviews will be last. According to Kushina, this is a good thing, as it means people will be more likely to remember them. Unfortunately, it also means that they spend hours feeling tremendously uncomfortable as the other tributes have their interviews first.

"People watch all of this crap?" Kakashi whispers, as the girl from cloud stammers through her interview. Some of the interviews are more fun to watch and others, as the tributes are more charismatic, but in the end all of the interviews are pretty superficial and dull. Not to mention how utterly bizarre it feels- like they have to audition for their own death.

Rin elbows him. "Be nice," she says, and then seem startled by her own response. "I just mean, she's got to be nervous, right?" She shifts uncomfortably in her chair.

Kakashi frowns a little. "What are you going to do?" He asks. Before the interviews, Minato, Sarutobi and Kushina had set them down to talk about their interview strategies. Unfortunately, there hadn't been a lot of time, so Kakashi hasn't actually heard what Rin is planning. His own meeting had mostly consisted of Minato trying to convince him (in an increasingly desperate tone of voice) to play nice and not lose his temper. Ha. Like Kakashi ever lost his temper-okay, so maybe he sometimes did, but he was hardly an idiot.

As the hours creep away slowly, Kakashi becomes increasingly surprised that he has not yet fallen asleep. There simply isn't an awful lot for him to do right now; he could listen to his future opponents, but someone who might seem nice now my turn into an altered animal in the arena, so it all seems pretty pointless.

It was more interesting by far to study Jiraiya instead. He was in his early 40s, perhaps, though it was hard to tell with his huge mane of white hair. His large stature further added to his resemblance to those ancient lions Kakashi once saw in a history book, long ago. The man had small black eyes, accentuated by rather alarming red face paint, running down his cheeks like bloody tears. They seemed awfully fitting for an event such as this.

The most interesting thing by far, though, was the fact that for all his bluster, obnoxious jokes and general loudness, Jiraiya was actually doing a fine job of reassuring his interviewees, even managing to calm down the poor girl from cloud enough that she could make a casual joke or two. Kakashi figures Jiraiya has found a way to somehow guide the interviews. He has a feeling nothing really surprises the man, which makes him think Jiraiya is probably a lot smarter than he looks.

Some more time passes, and then it's finally Rin's turn. She gives him a nervous smile before walking onto the stage with her hands folded neatly in front of her. She looks humble and sweet, like the ideal daughter-in-law (or so Haruno Mebuki claimed, anyway). Jiraiya welcomes her with a broad smile, gesturing at the seat.

"Please, please, sit down! Your name is Nohara Rin, isn't it?" He says.

Rin sits, smoothing down her dress. It looks elegant, and if Kakashi didn't know that she practiced it beforehand, he might've thought she was a Capitol girl after all. She smiles politely. "That's right, I am. And you are Jiraiya, aren't you?" She adds, a hint of mischievous twinkling in her eyes.

This gets a laugh from the audience. All Kakashi can think is that she is a good actress.

"My my, what a charmer! Now, young lady, you are of course from the illustrious leaf district, once known as Konoha in the old language. Like the fairy you portrayed, you are a forest creature. What do you think about the big city, so far?" Jiraiya asks.

Rin inclines her head a little. "It's wonderful, quite unlike anything I ever expected," she says, which Kakashi knows is a blatant lie; she hates the city, she hates the noise, she hates the crowds. "Everyone has been so very kind to me," she adds, earning her cheers from the audience. An even bigger lie.

She keeps up her act throughout the interview, appearing sweet and grateful, yet also independent and proper. She sounds like someone who could be a part of the capitol. In other words, she's hit upon a winning strategy.

She keeps her composure she walks off the stage under loud applause, but it falls apart the moment the cameras are away. She's shaking and flushed red, like she has a fever. Kushina immediately flies to her side and takes her somewhere more quiet.

Kakashi doesn't know where exactly, because the peacekeeper keeping them all quiet during the interviews nudges him towards the stage. Suddenly, it seems awfully hard to remain nonchalant. Thousands of people are going to watch him, judge him, and possibly decide his fate in the next few minutes. His heart pounds in his throat.

Jiraiya smiles and offers him a seat. Kakashi has to force himself to smile back. He has to seem nice, but he suspects it will take an effort.

"Well now, young man, your name is Hatake Kakashi, isn't that right?" Jiraiya asks.

"You tell me, you're the one holding the cards," Kakashi says, nodding his head at the little cards Jiraiya holds in his large hands.

Jiraiya laughs, as does the audience. Point one goes to Kakashi. Maybe he just has to think of it as manipulation. Manipulate the crowds into liking you, and...

Jiraiya pretends to check his cards. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's you! We just talked to your lovely fellow tribute from leaf, she had nothing but nice words for you. She's a wonderful young lady. What's it been like to work with her?"

 _Work with her,_ like they are colleagues. Ridiculous.

He forces another smile. "As you said, she's a wonderful young lady. I'm very lucky."

Jiraiya smiles some more, and looks down at his cards again. His face darkens a little. He looks up at the camera for second, frowning. It's only a moment, but it's enough for the audience to go quiet. Even they have noticed something's up.

Jiraiya clears his throat. "Now, from what I understand you have had another female tribute in your life, haven't you?"

Kakashi smile freezes. Minato warned him, but he still didn't think they would actually do it. Even Jiraiya seems uncomfortable about this. "... Yes, that's right."

Jiraiya forces another smile. "Ladies and gentlemen, this young man here is very special. You see, his mother was an old acquaintance of ours. Her name was Hanano Kinue, although you might remember her betteras _this_ impressive lady."

The screen flashes to life behind Kakashi. He turns towards it, feeling a little lightheaded. It shows a typical tribute profile; to the right, a list of the tribute's personal details-on the left, a portrait that slowly rotates.

It's the first time he has ever seen his mother's face. Properly, anyway. His father has a single picture of her as a child, but it's grainy and too small to really show her properly. This picture, on the other hand, shows his mother in high-definition.

She's pretty, in an angular, thin sort of way. She has Kakashi's eyes, heavy-lidded and charcoal gray. Her nose is a little crooked. Kakashi knows that she broke it falling from a tree when she was eight years old. Her hair is straight and dark, pulled back into a simple ponytail. There's a mole on her cheek. She looks at the camera with a fierce anger.

"Your mother, Kinue, participated in the forty-seventh hunger games, where she made it to third place," Jiraiya says, but Kakashi barely registers it. He still staring at his mother's face. He looks more like her than he had realized.

The screen switches to images of his mother walking through some kind of abandoned city-her arena. The arena where she died. She's looking around with a guarded look. The screen switches again, and now she is fighting off some kind of mutant creature, her own teeth bared in a feral snarl. The screen switches again, and then she's clutching at her throat as-

A warm hand grabs him by the shoulder and turns him away from the screen. Jiraiya is suddenly very close. He has a hand cupped over his microphone. "I'm so sorry about this. I didn't know they were going to do this. The television audience can only see the screen right now, but in a moment they will be switching back to us. You can look away from the screen. Please don't look at it," he whispers intently.

There's a roaring in Kakashi's ears. The screen seems to pull at him like a magnet, but he manages to resist its call. He doesn't want to see his mother die. He can hear her breath wheezing on screen. He hears the audience grunt in sympathy.

Suddenly, all he can feel his anger.

The screen goes black again.

Jiraiya has returned to his seat, his face serious. He sounds reluctant when he finally speaks up again. "Now, Kakashi, I'm sure the audience will remember your mother. Of course, we can't ask her, but what do you think-"

"Then maybe you shouldn't have killed her," Kakashi hisses, before he can stop himself.

The audience gasps.

Kakashi doesn't care anymore. He doesn't want to play nice for these people. "You want to know what she would think of all this? You seriously want to know what she would think? You Capitol people are seriously-"

it's not until he has finished his sentence that he realizes his microphone was cut off after the word 'seriously'. The audience didn't hear the rest of his sentence. Jiraiya looks a little pale.

Kakashi sits back. If he says more, he will only dig himself a deeper grave. He can't really regret his words, but he knows that saying anything else would hardly make a difference. He's always known that there's a certain type of person that won't acknowledge their own mistakes or flaws, no matter how often they are pointed out. The people in the capitol are amongst those kinds of people.

There's no point in arguing further, as his father would say.

He wonders what his father would think right now, after seeing his son's mother on the screen. He hopes his father didn't see it at all.

"Our apologies, ladies and gentlemen, it seems we've had a technical issue. We're going to have to cut this interview short. Suffice it to say that young Kakashi is a very special young man who is certainly worth keeping an eye on!" Jiraiya improvises, smiling widely.

Then, he ushers Kakashi of the stage, muttering another 'sorry' before returning to the stage to finish the show.

Kakashi is still seething. He wants to shout, to break out and run away, to throw up, to fight. He's about to kick a chair in the hallway when Minato catches up with him.

"I'm sorry, Kakashi, I didn't think they would take it that far," Minato says, grabbing hold of Kakashi's shoulders as if that would somehow temper his anger.

"It's not fair! They can't just show her off like some kind of-some kind of-animal, or party trick!" Kakashi shouts. "They can't _use_ her like that, not after they killed her!"

"I know," Minato says, and he sounds anguished enough that Kakashi believes it. Maybe he lost someone too. Maybe the capitol capitalizes on that as well.

"Come on," Minato says, and drags Kakashi into a little office that he's pretty sure they're not to actually allowed to enter.

"Jiraiya would never have suggested showing such images during the interview, but he doesn't have as much influence as he used to," Minato says. "He's only been doing this for a few years, but while the audience likes him..." He trails off, and looks around the office.

Bugs. Right. The real fashion statement of the capitol; every room is bugged by the government. If that doesn't say everything you need to know about a society, Kakashi isn't sure what does. Still, the implication is pretty clear; Jiraiya might be popular with the audience, but not with his bosses. But then Kakashi already figured that when Jiraiya pulled him away from the screen in full view of the theater audience. Just because the television watchers couldn't see it... The life audience would probably be talking about it.

The stories of disappearances in the capitol reach even the districts. President Shimura doesn't like dissenters. Particularly not high-profile ones.

Kakashi takes a deep breath. Slowly but surely, the memory of his mother's agonized breathing fades from his memory. The memory of her fierce eyes, however, does not.

Minato sets Kakashi down in the chair, and returns a few moments later with a cup of tea. "I've notified Kushina, so she knows what happened. She's on her way. If you want to talk about it..."

"Not really," Kakashi looks away. There's a picture of the desk of Jiraiya and a couple of strange women. "Wait, is this _Jiraiya's_ office?"

Before Minato can answer the door opens and Kushina rushes in. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I had no idea this would happen. I'm sure Jiraiya would never have-"

"Yeah, yeah, we've already gone through that," Kakashi cuts her off. He regrets it instantly. She only wants to help. It just seems odd that they would defend Jiraiya, of all people, when he plays such a vital role in the games.

The door opens again, and a little boy peeks his head around the corner. He stares up at Kakashi with wonder, his eyes large and clear blue. Someone's painted whiskers on his cheeks, and the tip of his nose has been made black in lieu of face paint. He's supposed to a tiger, probably, or maybe a fox.

Next to Kakashi, Minato has frozen.

"Oh, Naruto! There you are," Jiraiya pushes through the door and picks the boy up with an easy grace. The boy giggles. If Jiraiya is surprised to find them all in his office, he doesn't show it.

"Do excuse me, this is my son, Naruto," Jiraiya says lightly. His eyes flit over to Minato briefly. He looks strangely hopeful.

Kakashi might have missed it if not for one single thing: The boy looks exactly like Minato, down to his bright yellow hair.

Minato looks pale beneath his tan, but he manages a smile. "I remember," he says. "Hello, Naruto-kun. It's nice to see you again."

The toddler looks away quickly and buries his face in his father's neck. His blue eyes shyly peek out from behind Jiraiya's bangs.

If Kakashi fought Minato had gone pale, Kushina looks positively glacial. Like Minato, she's staring at the boy. After a beat, she blinks. "Jiraiya-san, surely this is no place for a child?" She smiles, but it looks as forced as her smile at the Reaping had.

"Ah, well, I thought it might be fun for him to get a chance to meet some of the Tributes," Jiraiya says, suddenly sounding hesitant. He bounces the boy in his arms. "Go on, Naruto-chan, take a look. That's Kakashi, that is. And his Mentor and Escort, too."

"Jiraiya-san. I must insist. This is no place for a child," Kushina grits out through her teeth. Her voice is low and dangerous, but her eyes are wide. Kakashi has never seen her like this before, but he knows that expression. She's not angry- she's scared.

Jiraiya's smile fades. "I-yes. Of course, Kushina- I didn't mean to- ah, you're right, of course. How irresponsible of me. This is no place for a child. I just thought- I just thought he might like it." He grimaces, but quickly turns it into a grin. "Not to worry. I'll take him straight back home, where he's perfectly safe."

Kushina nods curtly. For a moment, she stares at the boy. Her eyes are filled with something Kakashi immediately recognizes, the face of a woman who would go through fire to get to her-to her what, exactly? The boy has Minato's coloring, but his eyes are rounder, his nose more of a button than Minato straight line, and his jaw a little fuller. Kakashi isn't exactly an expert when it comes to children, with the boy looks... Well, with a bit of imagination, he looks a bit like Kushina.

No. No way. Kakashi has to stop himself from staring at Kushina. It's impossible, right? For someone from the capitol to have a child with a Victor? It can't be, right? Kakashi's head is spinning. He decides it's probably safer for everyone involved if he doesn't ask them out loud. Perhaps if Kushina picked the boy up and hugged him and loudly proclaimed him to be her son... Her son with Minato. Oh. Eww. Don't go there. Best not to go anywhere near there.

But then they had been awfully cozy on the couch, hadn't they? _Nope_.

That said, if they do have a son together, that would spell a world of trouble. And how on earth would Jiraiya have gotten involved? It does seem a little far-fetched.

Kushina takes Minato and Kakashi by the arm and practically drags them away. Jiraiya looks like he wants to protest, but let's it go.

Once they reach the dressing rooms, Kakashi sees Kushina blinking away tears. Oh, oh dear.

"Well, how odd. I didn't think Jiraiya-san would be so irresponsible," she says lightly-or tries to, anyway; her voice sounds a little choked.

Minato finally seems to recover from his stupor. "Oh- well, I'm sure he meant no harm," He says quietly. "Let's just keep going. Kakashi, you did very well. I- yes. Well done."

He sounds distracted.

Kakashi is no fool. A boy who looks just like Kushina, the structure of her bones overlaid with Minato's colors. The Games host, _Jiraiya_ , scolded by an _escort_ , of all people. Kushina, clearly distraught by the boy's presence. Somehow, this boy means something to them, and somehow, Jiraiya taking him here disturbs them both deeply. Enough that they have both completely forgotten about the issue that took them to Jiraiya's office in the first place.

"Minato, what-"

"You did brilliantly, in fact," Minato cuts him off, his eyes flashing in warning. He shakes his head lightly. _Not here_. Okay. That makes sense. "We'll reunite with Sarutobi-san and Rin in a moment, then we can talk all about it."

Kakashi thinks about this for a moment. Then he nods. More quietly, he adds, "You guys need to work on your poker face."

The adults freeze for a moment.

Kakashi almost rolls his eyes ." Come on. Rin is waiting for us."

Quite frankly, he's almost relieved that there's another mystery to distract him from the memory of his mother, choking on her own blood.

* * *

 **AN:  
Man, after writing adult Kakashi for uneasy lies the head, it's so different to write him as a kid! His emotions are so much closer to the surface, particularly his temper...**

 **Next chapter, the final preparations are taken and the games begin... May the odds be in your favor...**


	6. Chapter 6: The Hunger Games

Chapter 6.

* * *

 **AN. This is where it gets violent. Please be aware of that!**

* * *

He wakes up the morning of the games with the sound of his mother's wheezing breath fresh in his mind. Needless to say, he didn't get much sleep.

It's strange to miss someone you never even met. It's stranger still to remember only their death. The only good thing that has come of the whole thing is that he spent the night thinking about his mother, and not the games.

The remainder of his time was spent thinking what an absolute idiot he'd been during the interview. He'd allowed himself to be goaded into losing his cool, and with it, his chance of gaining sponsors. No one would want to support a boy who lost his temper and, worse, blamed the capitol for something so horrible. God forbid Capitolites are actually reminded of their crimes now and then.

He rolls onto his side and looks at the clock. The red numbers seem to glare at him from the dark. In two hours, peacekeepers will come to escort him and Rin to the arena. There, they will be split up each brought to a underground bunker. That's where they receive their arena equipment, and then they step into a tube-like elevator that brings them up into the arena. There, a countdown will begin. Anyone who steps of their platform before the countdown ends, is blown to bits.

In the capitol, it will be watched for entertainment. Pure, vindictive, entertainment. in the districts, there will be mandatory viewings so that the people of the districts remember who's boss as they watch their kids die. Sakumo will probably have to watch it in the community home, since they don't have a television at home. Kakashi hopes Gai's dad will be there; he's the only one who comes close to being Sakumo's friend.

Kakashi lets out a long breath. It doesn't feel real. It feels like his father could walk into his room any moment to wake him up. Not that he has a room back home, or a clock, but even then the illusion seems more real than _this_.

He eventually rolls out of bed and takes his time under the shower and getting dressed. He tries to memorize the feeling of the hot water spray and high-quality fabrics against his skin. He brushes his teeth for longer than he has to.

Eventually, he makes his way to the common room. The others are already there, looking peaky.

Kushina puts on a brave smile. "Well. Let's try to enjoy this breakfast, shall we?"

Sarutobi looks up from his own breakfast. He sighs and puts his cutlery away. He looks much older than he is, all of a sudden. "There were a few of the careers who wanted an alliance with you two, but I declined their offer. Careers are notoriously unreliable... They turn on their allies at the first opportunity," He says.

Minato nods slowly. If he disagrees with Sarutobi's decision, he doesn't show it.

Kakashi sits down opposite Rin. Unexpectedly, she reaches out to take his hand. "Together, then," she says.

"Together," he agrees. The best chance they've got.

Kushina turns her face away and covers her mouth with her hand. Minato puts a hand on her shoulder, then looks at the kids. "Try to eat well. You'll need all the energy you can get," he says.

Kakashi isn't sure he'll be able to keep anything down, but he knows from experience that he won't be able to run, let alone fight, on an empty stomach. Minato's right. He swallows, and begins to eat.

They don't talk much for the rest of the meal. Only Sarutobi makes lighter marks every now and then, not only reminding them of the strategy they decided upon, but also sharing funny anecdotes about his newborn grandson to distract them from the nerves. Kakashi didn't actually know Sarutobi had a grandchild- Asuma's older sister must have given birth. Sarutobi even has two pictures, which succeed at teasing a smile out of Rin: in one of them, the infant gives the cameraman a wide, toothless smile.

There's about half an hour left to kill after breakfast. Kakashi and Rin make their way to the roof, which they can only access because they have the top floor apartment. It's a beautiful day. The sky is blue, and Kakashi can't help but think of how lovely the forest must be right now. How it would smell of pine, fresh leaves and wet ground. How much he wants to go there, just to be home.

They sit down on a ledge and look out over the city together. The capitol is sprawling and wide, the buildings all incredibly new and modern to kids who are used to wooden huts and old-fashioned houses. Everything is white, even the breathtaking glass spires in the distance. There are a few parks here and there, with ponds, but they look so symmetrical that they have to be man-made. Nothing about it is natural, which makes it feel eerie.

"It's like they want to kill everything that doesn't go with their aesthetic," Rin says, somehow perfectly articulating what Kakashi was thinking.

"I mean, what are the games even for? Our grandparents' generation rebelled because they were used as slaves, so now we are still being punished for their 'crimes'? If you can even call a slave revolt a crime," Rin goes on, surprising Kakashi with the anger in her voice.

Kakashi shrugs. "It's a crime from the perspective of the slaveholders," he says.

"I just can't believe that there aren't more people in the capitol who realize how wrong it is, "Rin says, her shoulders drooping. Her head tilts forward so her bangs hide her face from view.

"Kushina does," Kakashi says, "but to be honest, I don't think any of the others even think of us as human beings."

Rin wipes at her eyes. There's tears in them. "Kushina is different. She's... I don't know. I feel like she understands, somehow. Almost like she's from a district herself."

"That's not possible," Kakashi says, unnecessarily. People in the districts don't mingle with people from the capitol. If you believe the capitol, they're hardly even the same species. People from the district are seen as inferior, savage, exotic at best. So long as they work, they are tolerated. As soon as they stop working they're worthless, as good as dead. There's a reason there aren't a lot of elderly people in the districts.

That was the best outcome. The thirteenth district was completely blown to pieces only a few years before Kakashi's birth, because it's inhabitants had started a revolt. Thousands of people were killed in the retaliation, never mind that not all of them were guilty. Never mind that some had just been kids. It's not like they hadn't been killing kids for years anyway.

After that, the Capitol turned the old district, once known as Whirlpool for its scenic coasts and wild waters, into a prison district and renamed it Sound.

As he says it, though, he remembers the little boy from Jiraiya's office.

Rin doesn't know about him. Kakashi wonders if there are microphones on the roof as well. He doesn't really want to risk it, as much as he wants to tell Rin. If the boy really is Minato and Kushina's, then there's obviously a story. More obviously, they could both be imprisoned, or worse, if the capitol finds out. It's not completely unheard of for Victors to have relationships with people from the capitol, but a child? An actual relationship that went further than just plain old sex? A relationship resulting in a child, the offspring of a 'savage' and a capitolite? Kakashi doubted they would accept that. In all likelihood, Naruto would be sent to live in the district with his father. He could even be reaped for the games. Hell, he probably would be, just to make a point.

Maybe that's why the boy was with Jiraiya, instead. But how on earth had they involved such a high-profile capitol celebrity? _Everyone_ knew Jiraiya. It was an interesting mystery, but not one that he should put his mind to. He should just leave it alone, he wouldn't exactly be able to do anything to help them anyway.

Still, it was an interesting mystery.

"What you think it will be like, once we're in the arena?" Rin asks.

"I don't know. Chaotic. Confusing. Definitely terrifying. Most likely lethal."

Rin snorts halfheartedly and bumps her shoulder against his. "I suppose there's not really anything you could say that would reassure me anyway, is there?" She smiling, but her eyes are sad. That's an expression he's started to associate with her.

"I don't know, you laughing about our imminent deaths seems pretty reassuring in a weird sort of way," he says.

He doesn't have many friends back in the district. It's strange and unfair that he should find a friend in a girl upon whose death his life will depend.

"We might not start next to each other in the arena," Rin says, once they stop chuckling. "Maybe we should decide on a direction or destination where we can meet up. Even without knowing the arena... "

Kakashi thought about it for a moment." Once we're in the arena, we should have about sixty seconds before the games start. Maybe we can use that time to look around and decide on a direction."

"We could signal, if we can see each other. If the cornucopia isn't in the way," Rin says.

He nods. "And whatever direction we point at, we go the opposite way. Just to throw off anyone who might see."

Rin nods as well.

They're distracted when a bird flies past them, squeaking indignantly as if finding humans so high above the ground annoyed it. It's a pretty bird with an iridescent shine to its feathers, so they watch it as it wheels away.

"I don't really want you to die," Rin says, looking at her knees, "but I don't really want to die myself either."

He nods to himself. In the distance, the sun is starting to rise. The light casts a beautiful orange hue over the city. "I know the feeling," he says.

"Let's just... Not kill each other, okay? If it has to happen... I don't want it to be you," she says. His stomach flips .

He's not a very tactile person, so he feels a little awkward when he lifts his hand for her to grab. When she takes it, he says, "Deal." She smiles, her face lighting up in the glowing light, which makes it worth the awkwardness. Even so, he quickly pulls his hand back.

They are footsteps behind them. It's Minato, his face serious. "It's time."

Rin shudders. Kakashi looks to the east, to the edge of the city, the direction of home. He has to take a deep breath to right himself.

They get up slowly and, walking side-by-side, follow Minato.

* * *

In the underground bunker, it's just Kakashi and Haruno Kizashi, who helps him dress. He had to say goodbye to Rin and the others in the apartment. The girls had both hugged him (Kushina openly cried when she hugged Rin), Minato had given him some last advice (while keeping a hand on Kakashi shoulder, squeezing it, throughout the conversation), and Sarutobi had assured them that they would be working day and night to get them sponsors.

Even Kizashi seems a little nervous, quietly cursing to himself when he can't get Kakashi's hair to stick in whatever ridiculous direction he wants it to go. He's unusually quiet, and when he helps Kakashi into his jacket, he puts a hand on the boy's shoulder and wishes him good luck once more.

He's given cargo pants, khaki colored, and a jacket that looks like leather but isn't. It's tight around his torso and feels secure like armor, but he knows it will not protect him from anything. The shoes are sturdy boots reaching half-way up his calfs. The final bit of equipment is, surprisingly, a scarf. Maybe they have mind readers in the Capitol. Kakashi wraps it around his face and neck.

Kizashi gets an odd look on his face when he sees the scarf. "Well, I guess it will be useful. Keep it close."

He gives Kakashi a meaningful look. It occurs to Kakashi that Kizashi probably knows that the arena will look like, so he tightens the scarf a little bit more.

Then Kizashi reminds Kakashi of the platforms, and how he shouldn't step off until the countdown has ended, unless he wants to be blown up (in the past, there have been a few tributes who did so intentionally).

When all is said and done, he ushers Kakashi towards the tube that will take him up to the arena. The peacekeeper who has just entered the room makes sure to prod Kakashi in the back with his gun when Kakashi lingers.

As soon as he's in, the tube closes behind him. Inside the tube, all he can hear is his own breathing. His heart is beating fast. Too fast, maybe. Or maybe it will give them an edge. He remembers something a teacher once said in school about something called adrenaline, which supposedly makes you stronger and faster. He's really not sure. All he knows right now is that he might be about to die, and that if he doesn't do so right away, he might have hours or days or weeks of absolute terror ahead of him.

His hands feel clammy. He tightens his fists a couple of times. He's not ready. He wonders whether Rin is.

The tube begins to move. In the tunnel, it's dark. Suddenly the tube is filled with light, and Kakashi has to squint against the brightness. It gets brighter and brighter, and the higher he gets the warmer the air feels until it is almost stifling in its heat.

Then he's out all the way, and sees that his platform has brought him to a desert. His throat feels dry and a hot wind bites into his skin where his clothes don't cover it.

The tributes are arranged in a circle around the cornucopia. The moment Kakashi sees the cornucopia, his stomach drops. The metal structure lies in the middle of an oasis, clear blue water lined with palm trees and shrubs. He can even see berries on some of the trees. Other than that, he sees backpacks strewn around the cornucopia, and metal glinting inside of it. Weapons, probably.

He will need one of the backpacks. A desert means he will need water, and food. Getting a backpack is a better bet than going back and forth to the cornucopia's oasis, where all the other tributes are bound to go as well.

The countdown has already begun. He has to remind himself not to lose focus. On the platform to his right, the girl from mist seems ready to make a run for it. To his left, one of the kids from grass looks like he's about to faint. To Kakashi's relief, he can't see the big boy from waterfall anywhere, which means he's probably on the other side of the cornucopia. He doesn't immediately spot Rin either, until he sees someone waving at him from a distance. She's on his left, as they should probably flee in that particular direction as well; otherwise she would have to run to the cornucopia, and then further onwards, which would almost certainly get her killed.

He looks behind him. Around them, there is a stretch of sand that's about 200 meters wide. Beyond that are buildings, rising up from the desert like skeletons, bare-boned and with empty windows. Some of them look like old apartment blocks, others are smaller. It's hard to be sure because the air seems to shimmer near the horizon. It's the heat, Kakashi thinks. He's already sweating. The tributes from sand will have a distinct advantage; they're used to this kind of climate.

There are only twenty seconds left. His heart is racing in his throat. He looks at Rin again. She points at a point to their far right, the North-Eastern direction. That means they go Southwest. Good. He nods, and hopes no one will see through the rather thin deception. Hell, that they will survive the cornucopia.

Ten seconds. One of the game makers is counting down. From what Kakashi remembers, this is usually when the camera start spinning around, showing the faces of each of the nervous tributes in full detail. They'll be annoyed that his face is hidden behind his scarf. That just makes him like the scarf more.

He's sweating. There's five seconds left. He sinks through his knees and prepares to run. His last thought before the sound of a cannon reverberates through the arena and signals the start of the games is of his father.

 _Boom._

Then he's off, running as fast as he can through the hot sand. The sun seems to reflect off the ground, making it even harder than on the platform. To his right, the girl from mist is running as well. He's a little bit faster. He can't see Rin anymore. Someone screams in the distance; one of the kids from grass has tripped over the thick sand. The girl from Suna is on her in a second. Kakashi doesn't watch what happens next.

There's two backpacks straight ahead of him. He has to push the boy from grass away from him to get to the one on the left first. He squashes down the guilt. The girl from mist reaches the one on the right just as Kakashi is starting to turn around. There are knives in the sand underneath her bag. On instinct, he grabs a handful of sand and throws it into her eyes. He runs as she recoils.

Several of the larger, faster kids have already gotten their hands on weapons. There are more screams, and suddenly the big boy from sound rushes at Kakashi from his right. He's armed with a wicked- looking knife and wears a wide grin.

He rams Kakashi and they roll through the sand together. The stuff gets everywhere, into his eyes, his clothes, his hair, but there's no time. The bigger boy bears down on him and all he can do is catch the boy's knife hand with both of his own hands. He somehow manages to work his legs up, and knees the boy in the crotch. The boy yowls in pain, and his grip on the knife loosens briefly. Kakashi fumbles for it, slapping it out of the boy's hand. It lands in the sand, but he can just about reach it-

He boy shouts something but he's too late. Kakashi's fingers curl around the hilt and then he stabs it into the boy's flabby side. The boy screams in pain this time, and rolls away. Kakashi only just manages to hold onto the knife. He scrambles back up, slings his backpack over one shoulder, and begins to run once more. He doesn't think he's dealt a lethal blow, he didn't stab deeply enough for that, but all that matters right now is that he's still alive.

Another tribute runs ahead of him, obviously eager to get away from the cornucopia as well. Their paths almost cross. It's the boy from cloud, his eyes panicked and wide. There's blood on his face. They get closer and closer- and then they pass each other, without fighting. There's nothing to be won from it.

Kakashi keeps running. His legs are already getting tired. The sand is heavy, and he's unused to running in it. His breath rasps in his throat, but he's grateful for the scarf; it kept the sand from entering his nose or mouth.

He runs and runs and runs. Slowly, the screams and clashing of metal on metal begin to fade away as he leaves the cornucopia behind. He's panting heavily, and sweat runs down his face. It's too damn hot.

He looks around. He can still see a few figures running away in the distance. There's only one to his right. It could be Rin. God, he hopes it's Rin. He changes course and charges after the figure. As he gets closer, he can distinguish more of her features. It is Rin, looking wild eyed. She's not running very fast, and after a moment he can see why; she's bleeding from a nasty cut just above her knee. Her blood has already colored the fabric of her pants black.

"Rin! Wait!" They are close enough now that he dares to call out. They've almost reached the buildings. From this close, Kakashi can see that they're completely abandoned and neglected. The windows are broken, glass shards and tattered curtains the only signs people ever lived there. The arena is probably based on one of the old cities down south, overtaken by the desert heat and lack of water.

Rin finally looks back at him. Her eyes are wild. "Kakashi, oh-we have to-we have to keep going," she says, sounding as if she's about to sob. From this close he sees the spear in her right hand. There's blood on the blade. She's using it to prop herself up as she limps onwards. He jogs up to her, grabs her left arm and throws it over his own shoulder. They make better speed together, although she winces in pain now and then.

Kakashi can't stop looking over his shoulder, but no matter often he looks, he can't see anyone following him. "Into the building," he says, pointing ahead.

They limp on. They have to go around the building first, at which point they decide it's better to go into one of the houses right behind the first line. They pick one of the apartment blocks and find a broken window on the ground floor. Kakashi helps Rin in first, and then climbs in after her. Rin is already dragging herself up the stairs to the right. He follows. They keep going until they reach the topmost floor, about five floors up. There, they break down an old door and enter the room.

Rin collapses in one of the corners, her injured leg stretched out in front of her. She pulls at the fabric around it, and hisses. Kakashi closes the door behind them before making his way over to her side. He realizes he's still holding the bloodied knife in his hand. He tucks it into his belt.

Rin shrugs off her jacket. He quickly follows her example. It's too damn hot, and they're protected from the sun so long as they're inside. Rin uses the point of her spear to open up her torn pants a little bit further. The cut is deep and still bleeding freely. Rin doesn't hesitate. She takes off the scarf, which she had tied around her neck, and binds it tightly around her wound.

She doesn't have a backpack, only the spear.

Slowly, the adrenaline begins to wear off. Kakashi gets up and makes his way to the nearest window, making sure not to show his silhouette too much. He can just about see the cornucopia. There are still a few figures dancing around it. More of the figures are on the ground, unmoving.

The remaining figures don't seem to be fighting each other. The fight for the cornucopia is over, and one group has clearly won. The careers, probably. Maybe the boy from waterfall as well. If they stick near the oasis, all they really have to do is sit and wait for the remaining survivors to run out of supplies.

Kakashi slides back down and opens his backpack. Inside, he finds a silver colored canteen. He opens it and sniffs. It doesn't smell like much, so it's probably just water. Good, but there's not a lot of it. He pulls out a metal bar of sorts. He thinks it's a crowbar. There's some beef jerky as well as well as some other dried foods, such as crackers, all of them salty. Kakashi grimaces. These will just make them thirstier.

He kneels down next to Rin. "Are you okay?"

She nods slowly. "The bleeding is slowing down. I just got unlucky."

"I don't know, you could have been dead," Kakashi argues, and sits down next to her. He shows her the contents of his backpack. "We'll have to ration," he says.

She nods. "And I don't think we should stay in one place for too long-"

She's interrupted by another loud bang, followed by another, and another. They sound like cannon shots. Kakashi remembers this from watching the games. Each shot signals the death of a tribute.

"Eleven shots," Rin says softly when the canons finally die down. "So there's thirteen of us left."

Kakashi nods slowly. Eleven tributes dead. He wonders who they are. He knows their images and names will be shown on the domed roof of the arena at midnight. "Let's hope they got the stronger kids," he says, but he knows he's probably wrong.

They each eat a cracker and have a sip of the water. They desperately want more, but they can't take the risk. When it becomes clear that none of the other tributes are nearby, Kakashi ventures out into the building and begins to explore. He spends several hours like that, walking around in search of food and water, startling at every sound. He's still terrified, but the fear seems to have taken a backseat. He returns to Rin regularly to reassure her he's still there. The game makers are probably not getting very interesting footage in this.

When it gets dark he returns the room. They barricade the door with whatever they can find and settle down in one of the corners. The heat is gradually becoming less stifling, and the darker it gets, the colder it gets. Eventually, it's cold enough that they both put their jackets back on and have to huddle together for warmth.

It's too hot one moment, too cold the next. Kakashi isn't sure whether this is what a real desert would be like, but he knows that it sucks. They both started to doze off when the national anthem suddenly resounds throughout the arena. They and walk to the window.

High above the cornucopia, the faces of the dead are starting to appear. Rin grips his arm tightly when the boy from one of the smaller districts is shown, but she doesn't say why. The boy from cloud seems to have survived the night, but the girl, the one who had looked so scared, and tried to befriend them, had not.

Kakashi tries to look at the faces with a certain kind of distance, like they're not really dead, but just... game over. It occurs to him that's probably how the capitolites think of it.

It's not long before he's shocked out of it, though: one of the last faces shown in the lineup of the dead is the boy from sound, wearing that same cocky grin in the picture that he wore when he tried to kill Kakashi.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **Thanks for reading, I hope you liked it. Just little heads up for those of you who dislike violence or gory scenes; the violence is definitely going to get worse than this, as well as more visceral. So just keep that in mind.**

 **Let me know what you think! In the meantime, that I am also on tumblr as hii-raeth. You can follow me there for updates, Naruto posts or to ask questions.**

 **Finally, I have a question for you: do you think I should show Sakumo's side of things, or would that disrupt the suspense?**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7.

* * *

Sakumo stares at the screen.

It's been about twenty minutes since they last showed his son on the holo-screen. He was starting to fall asleep then, his familiar and well-loved features slowly relaxing. The cameras have moved away from him and Rin since then, as even the most fervent watchers couldn't possibly be interested in watching them sleep. The camera does like them, though; their partnership is interesting enough for the cameras to return to them every now and then. Sakumo wants to be glad, but he knows that if the audience were to dislike the two, the game makers would probably activate some awful trap or unleash some genetically mutated animal to kill them off.

Over the years, Sakumo's met a lot of people who said it didn't feel real when their loved ones were reaped. By now Sakumo's two favorite people in the world have both been reaped, so it feels very, very real.

Sakumo can't relax. He can't. More than anything, he wants to run into the arena, pick up his boy, and run back out. He also kind of wants to die, just so that he doesn't have to see _this._ His son is out there, just as his girlfriend once was, but Sakumo has to believe there will be a better outcome this time. Even if that feels impossible.

"Sakumo..." A voice says. A heavy hand lands on his shoulder. "Sakumo, you have to go home and get some sleep. The whole district will be keeping an eye on your boy, but you need to sleep. You can't watch it all night. You'll go mad."

Sakumo doesn't want to budge, but the last word touches something in him. He turns half-way to meet the other man's face. Maito Dai has a kind face, tanned from the sun, covered in hair, and with warm, dark eyes. He's eccentric and accident-prone, which is why the district doesn't like him much. After the reaping, Dai's son (whose name, for some reason, rhymed perfectly with that of his father) had practically dragged the mustachioed man over to Sakumo, and together they had taken Sakumo back to their home. They forced some food into him, talked of courage and hope, and escorted him back to the townhouse, where the peacekeepers were keeping Kakashi.

They'd barely left his side since then. Sakumo isn't sure how he ever deserved such treatment, but he's grateful for it nonetheless. The only people who will still talk to him are the shopkeepers, who want his money, and occasionally the district's only female Victor- when she manages to leave the house.

Dai shakes his shoulder again. "Sakumo, please-"

"I'm not mad," Sakumo says, before he can stop himself. "I'm not mad." He gets up, feeling a little woozy. He didn't breathe right for hours after the fight at the cornucopia. He still doesn't feel very well, but he's just had a thought. That female Victor. Tsunade, or something. If anyone could help, it would be her.

He has to do _something_.

He looks for his jacket and pulls it on. It's threadbare and doesn't offer much warmth, but it's better than nothing. Besides, why should he be warm when his son is shivering so very far from home? He pulls it on anyway, because he feels a little bit less naked without it.

Dai gives him a relieved look. "You can sleep at our place, if you want."

"I'm not going to sleep," Sakumo says. He's shaking a little, and he wishes he had some booze on him. He knows he's better off without it, and for his son's sake he keeps the stuff out of his house, but it's so tempting. He shakes the thought off. He doesn't know Tsunade very well, but she's the only person who knows how the games work. If he gets drunk, he won't be able to function. He certainly won't be able to be of any use to his son.

Dai has probably figured that Sakumo is going to his own home, but for some reason the man insists on following him. His own son is safe, at home, where he'd gone to get some sleep after the worst of the danger to Kakashi and Rin had passed.

Nights are usually less eventful in the games, emphasis on _usually_. It gives the district a moment to breathe and, Sakumo remembers, the mentors a chance to look for sponsors. Technically, anyone is allowed to sponsor the tributes, even district people. Sakumo doesn't have the money, though. No one does. No one, except for Tsunade.

He walks faster than his tired body likes, but this is not a time to be cautious. He's hungry, yes, but he's a young man in his thirties and he should be _stronger_ than this, damn it. He paces onward on shaky legs that haven't been exercised in a while.

Dai doesn't stop following him until he's already reached the Victor village, at which point even he has to realize what Sakumo wants to do. "Sakumo," he says, "she doesn't talk to people. There's no point in trying."

"She will damn well talk to me," Sakumo snarls. There's a fire in his chest that wasn't there before. If he can reach Tsunade, maybe he can reach his son.

Dai trails after him as he marches up to Tsunade's house. It's pretty, and bigger than anything Sakumo has ever lived in. It's one of the victor's rewards; a pretty, luxurious house on the outskirts of the district, with access to modern technology and plenty of food. There are about twelve houses, but only three of them are currently occupied. Tsunade is in the house opposite Sarutobi's, but where Sarutobi's is neat and well taken care of, Tsunade's is neglected and looks even worse than the empty houses.

Sakumo's courage briefly fails him, but then he marches up to the door knocks.

No one answers.

He knocks again. He can hear the sound of glass breaking inside. She's in. Not that he doubted it, she almost never leaves the house. He knocks again, and calls her name.

Eventually, he sits down on her porch. She's in there, she's just not responding. In that case, he'll sit here for as long as he dares to go without watching his son's progress. If she doesn't open the door this night, he will try again the next.

He will try, because if he sits back and does nothing, like last time, he thinks he might actually go mad.

* * *

Kakashi sleeps uneasily, waking up every few hours feeling like he's suffocating. One time, he dreams the big boy from waterfall finds them during the night and chokes them both to death. He wakes up gasping. It's gone warm again. The air feels stifling. His mouth is terribly dry, and before he knows it he's already had several sips of water from the canteen.

A cool hand reaches out to touch his own. "Not too much," Rin says. Her voice sounds hoarse. She's crouched next to him. Once she's sure he's awake, she crawls back to the window. She turns her face to him and puts her finger over her lips. "There's people nearby," she whispers.

That wakes him up very effectively. He caps the bottle and puts it back in the backpack, slinging it over one shoulder in case they have to make a run for it. They have to be careful at the window not to be seen themselves, so he only peeks out briefly.

There _are_ people nearby. From the look of things, it's the boy from rock as well as a boy from the steam district. They are walking through the streets, glancing from one building to the next in perfect view. It's almost as if they're begging to be killed, a sarcastic little voice in the back of Kakashi's head says.

Not that he actually could. He doesn't have the weaponry, and anyway, he still has a sick feeling in his stomach every time he thinks about the boy from sound. He's not sure that he killed him, but he knows the wound he dealt the other boy probably contributed.

"What do we do?" Rin whispers. The two boys are getting closer, scoping out the area. They are armed, too; the boy from rock- Kakkou?-has two long blades, whereas his companion is holding a lead pipe.

They amble forward slowly, carefully-then there's a whisper in the air and suddenly the boy from steam goes down clutching at the arrow embedded just above his hip.

 _Shit!_

Kakkou dives for safety through a door opening to his right. Kakashi almost ducks away as well, but then he sees the direction of the arrow. It's hit the boy from the front, which means the archer is either somewhere to Kakashi and Rin's right, or behind their building. Rin is pulling at his arm, but he ignores her. The archer probably can't see him, but if they fire again, Kakashi might be able to figure out their position. Either way, they're way too close for comfort.

The boy from steam rolls over the ground moaning. He tries to get purchase on the sand and clamber after his companion, even calling out for help. Kakkou has to hear him, but he doesn't move an inch. That's what an alliance gets you, Kakashi thinks; someone to watch you die from a safe distance.

His guess is proven right a moment later when another arrow whizzes through the air from somewhere just to the right of Kakashi's building. He watches as the arrow catches the boy in the back. The boy twitches for a moment, and then goes still. _Idiot_ , the part of Kakashi's brain that isn't screaming says.

He could probably see the archer if he poked his head out of the window, but he's not about to lose an eye for such a stupid reason. Instead, he crouches back down next to Rin and tells her what he's learned.

She watches him wide-eyed. "Could the archer be in our building?" She whispers back.

He shrugs. "Probably not, or we'd be dead by now." Somehow, his tone sounds dry, almost amused. She looks a little startled by it, and he's not sure he likes it himself. He still feels like he wants to scream, but somehow all that comes out is sarcasm. Then again, he's seen more dead bodies in the last twenty-four hours than in the fifteen years before that. Maybe this is his coping mechanism. Or maybe he's just an asshole.

"We shouldn't stay here," Rin says. "We're sitting ducks."

She's right- stuck as they are in a single little room, they can only see what's right in front of them. Anyone could sneak up on them from behind. They need a place that's better hidden, and allows for a better overview of the arena. Right now, they can only see the cornucopia and the alley right next to them. Up until the archer started shooting, Kakashi had thought they were alone.

That said, moving around while that archer is still there is not exactly a good idea either. He or she could just pick them off from above-which Kakashi can't help but think is a brilliant strategy. "I think we have two options," he says. "Number one, we stay here and try our luck. We move when we run out of water."

Rin looks about as doubtful as he feels, so he keeps going.

" Number two, we move to a better location. With luck, the archer doesn't know we're here. He does know there's a target right there, in that building. He'll want to take him out first. We could sneak out of this building right now, while the archer is focused on him. The downside is that we don't know if we will find a better place."

"We could try to get to the roof," Rin says. "Maybe we can see a better place from there, and if that archer is still focused on the doorway where Kakkou hid..."

She doesn't have to say anything else. It's the best plan they've got, so Kakashi nods and starts to crawl towards the door. He stops briefly before opening it, wondering what would happen if someone was waiting outside for them. His heart starts to pound painfully fast and he grabs his knife. Rin, who is still limping a little, stands on the other side of the door and grips her spear with both hands. That way they can attack from both sides at once. Clever.

Kakashi reaches out and slowly opens the door. The knob is searing hot, but he bites through the pain. The door cracks painfully slowly- and no one comes storming through. He dares to look. There's no one there. He nods at Rin, feeling a little foolish, and then they leave their safe room and go towards the stairs.

They move slowly, crouching whenever they pass a window so no one can see them. They have to practically crawl up the stairs, because it's not fully enclosed by walls like the rest of the building-there's only a waist high stone parapet to keep them from falling off. Fortunately, as they are on the top floor, it doesn't take them long to reach the top.

While the roof is flat it does have a low wall around it, just enough so that when they crawl on their bellies hey can't be seen by anyone below them. Unfortunately, the heat is almost unbearable. The sun burns down on them from above, and the stone that they practically have to crawl over so as not to be seen could probably be used as a makeshift frying pan.

Kakashi thinks his hands will probably be raw and red by the time he goes back downstairs. Behind him, Rin hisses in pain, which somehow only enhances the bizarre idea of the two of them being eggs frying in a pan. Do eggs hiss because they are in pain? Or has Kakashi gone delirious with fear? The latter seems more probable.

The sun burns down on the back of his neck, so he moves the scarf to cover the back of his entire head. It's a little bit better, if only just.

They finally reached a ledge on the right side of the building and carefully look over. Kakashi's heart jolts. The archer is standing on the roof of the building next to theirs. The building is a little shorter, perhaps it for so below them, so they can see the archer well. It's the girl from rock, Suzume-something. She's a bit older than they are, with a tall forehead and short pale brown hair. All Kakashi remembers from her interview is that she was kind of rude, but she didn't give much away of her strategy or abilities, which means she's not an idiot. Her grade hadn't been particularly good, but she's obviously a dab hand at archery.

She's also looking in the other direction, and they have a spear.

Rin has obviously had the same thought. She clutches the spear tightly enough to turn her knuckles white. She gives him a look. She could probably throw it far enough, she has a good arm. She slowly rises up to her knees, weighing the spear in her hand. She winces a little at the movement as it jars her injury. She gets up to her feet as quietly as she can, and holds her spear in a throwing position.

Her knees wobble. She whispers, "no," and then she sinks back down behind the parapet. "No, no, no. I can't do it. Not like this. I'm sorry," she whispers, tears in her eyes.

The archer probably wouldn't return the favor, but Kakashi can understand anyway. He still feels weird about the boy from sound, and Rin is much kinder than he is. She is meant for healing, not killing. He puts a hand on her shoulder to show he understands.

Kakashi's brain goes into overdrive. The archer would have gotten her weaponry at the cornucopia. Her position on the roof means she won't be able to retrieve her arrows, which means she only has a limited supply.

They also have no way in hell of knowing how many she has left. They've only seen her use three, and Kakashi has no idea how many arrows a normal quiver holds. Still, a bow and arrow do not give her the same offensive abilities a long-distance gun would give her. She can't stay up there forever. Not to mention the incredible heat up on the roof.

That said, if they're not going to kill her they have to use this information to get the hell away from her before she kills them. Kakashi wonders if killing her wouldn't be the better option, but then he sees the minute shake in Rin's hands and knows it's not an option. She would never be able to live with it.

He peeks over the edge of the roof again, but this time with the intention of looking at the buildings. They are in one of the tallest buildings themselves. Most of the others are much lower, and close enough together that you could leap from one roof to the next, if necessary. The city doesn't spread very far either; it's positioned in a half-circle around the cornucopia, but beyond that there is only the desert again. Kakashi can see far enough to see what's on the other side of the cornucopia, but he doesn't think there's another town.

He lies back down and thinks. That probably means the smarter kids will be in the town to stay out of the sun- but if everyone thinks that way, they'll _all_ be in the town. There's not an awful lot of town to go around for thirteen kids who have to murder each other for their survival.

The line _this town ain't big enough for the both of us_ comes to mind. Except, of course, they don't have fancy hats, horses, or guns. Of course, Kakashi is rather relieved about the latter. He doesn't mind the lack of cheesy accents either.

Right now, though, there's not an awful lot they can do so they returned to a room in the corner of the building, where they can see both the street and the archer's roof. It feels risky, but so long as they stay down, they can manage. They have something to eat and a sip of water. There's not as much left as Kakashi would like. He wonders whether anyone has tried going back to the oasis yet.

The next few hours are pretty uneventful. The boy from rock doesn't show his face again, and the archer, probably overcome by heat, ends up taking shelter in her own building. Basically, they're stuck in a stalemate. Kakashi eventually dozes off, trusting Rin to keep watch.

By the time he wakes up, it's going dark and his stomach is growling painfully. Rin offers him a cracker, which is only slightly less horrible to eat when you're thirsty than beef jerky. His head is pounding. He'd give anything for a bit of water, even if it was just dew off a leaf. At least it's a little colder now, but the stone walls are still giving off heat.

"We can't stay here for much longer," Rin says. "We need water."

She's looking out of the window at the cornucopia, where the oasis with its fresh and clear water is. There's a fire burning near it, which means the careers still have it. Kakashi can spot at least five figures around the fire.

It's not until much later that night that he remembers Kakkou and the archer are from the same district. Not for the first time, he's glad that Rin is such a kind girl.

* * *

Although the previous day ended with only one death, the next one starts off more spectacularly. First, there's the shouting near the cornucopia, quickly followed by a cannon shot. In the early morning light, Kakashi can just about make out four figures. They must've had an argument, and killed the fifth of the group.

Kakashi remembers seeing this quite often in the career groups. His father had once equated it to a group of wild dogs, where there is a dominant individual and a subordinate one. If the subordinate crosses a line, the others take him down.

Kakashi and Rin spend it taking turns to go to the bottom floor of the building and see if there is a cellar. There is, and it's much cooler than the top floor is. Unfortunately, it's not very well hidden so it doesn't make for a very good shelter, and it would be too cold during the night. The upside is that there are cracks in the concrete floor, through which one of them Rin manages to dig up a little bit of ground water. It tastes exactly like what Kakashi imagines much taste like, but it's relatively clean and that means they don't have to empty their canteen quite yet.

Rin also says they might try looking for cacti, strange, prickly plants that are supposed to contain liquids. Obviously though, there aren't exactly any cacti inside their building. The girl from rock is back on her rooftop. There's no way of knowing whether the boy from her district is still holed up in the tiny shed where he'd hidden last night.

Sometime in late afternoon, a lightning storm starts up. There's no rain, somehow, but the winds are fierce and the thunder is deafening.

"It's awful that girl from Rock would hunt one of her own district teammates," Rin says conversationally, when they've gone to the cellar for shelter.

"Maybe they didn't really know each other back in the district," Kakashi suggests, although he's not sure that makes it any better.

"Even so. Being from the same district creates a kind of kinship, doesn't it? It means you've lived through the same experiences, and in the same culture."

He shrugs. "Still gives you a bit of leeway." he says. Something cracks up above, immediately followed by thunder. "I didn't know you could have thunderstorms in the desert," he says.

"My dad says they have thunderstorms in the sand district as well. Apparently, the water just evaporates before it hits the ground. It's called a dry thunderstorm." Rin says.

"What does your dad do? I never see him with the other lumberjacks," he asks.

"Metalwork. Lightning conductors, amongst other things. He puts them on the tallest trees and on the buildings. Lightning tends to go towards the highest point, and is attracted by metal," Rin says.

Kakashi hadn't known that. They never talked about it much in school, even though storms in their district were long and harsh, often striking down trees, or even setting fires in the woods. Then again, the stories his dad used to tell him about his childhood make the storms look much worse, and the fires far more common. "How does it work?"

"I guess Shi would know," Rin shrugs. "His district works with electricity, doesn't it?"

"I wonder what they want to achieve with it."

"What do you mean? It's a storm."

"It's a storm in a man-made arena intended to kill people," Kakashi points out.

"...oh."

"Yeah."

"The cornucopia is made of metal," Rin says thoughtfully. "It might attract the lightning. I don't think it will work as a Faraday cage either. Then again, our buildings are tall."

Apparently, she isn't going to explain what a Faraday cage was. Not that it really matters. "Either way, we're safe inside the buildings. The Careers are not," he says.

They draw their conclusion at the exact same time. "If they are not safe at the cornucopia…"

"They're going to come here," Rin finishes.

* * *

 **AN. Thanks for reading! Please let me know if you enjoyed it, you'll make my day!**


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